No Questions Asked
by darcystwilight
Summary: AH, J/B established, future E/B. Edward is every woman's dream, and Bella's one free pass from her fiancé, Jake, but when she is locked in a room with him at the swankiest club in town, what could possibly possess her to turn him down? And why does she dream of his sad, haunted eyes?
1. Prologue

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and Edward Cullen. Damn! But luckily, she has inspired me to play around a little with these characters.**

**I have some awesome people to thank, as starting a story has caused me to run around the internet and search of a lot of guidance.**

**Content1 & SquallCullen for providing great words of encouragement.**

**Momma Laura for her amazing prereading skills.**

**PTB for accepting the story and Jcat5507 & AnthroBug for the beta work. **

Prologue

Summer 2008

Settling into the plush cushions of the couch, I snuggled up against my favorite arm in the world as I prepared myself for one of our most treasured traditions. Jake and I had our routines, and after two years of being together, Friday movie night had become our definition of "a good time." The days of wining, dining, and flowered bouquets had been replaced with study groups, cram sessions, and occasional quiet evenings of comfortable companionship.

Laying my head down on the firm contours of his chest, I looked up at him, noting the distinct distraction written all over the features of his handsome face. _Why are you always so serious, Jake? _Intent on cracking his armored shell, I tossed a piece of popcorn directly at him so that it bounced off that adorable spot between his dark eyebrows. I valiantly resisted the urge to laugh aloud at the annoyed look on his face.

Often too serious and too focused on our future, Jake worked tirelessly to achieve what he believed was the definition of success: a good job, in a good city, with good people working _under_ him. I admired his determination and drive and would've done anything in my power to make him happy.

Slowly transferring his attention to my direction, I watched as his face shifted from irritation to humor in a matter of seconds. "Hey, Bells! No throwing food during the movie," he teased, taking my left hand in his and threading our fingers together to prevent further interruption. "If you don't watch out, I just might have to punish you for that one," he continued, breaking into the boyish grin that reminded me so much of our youth.

A small rush of anticipation shot through my body as I smiled coyly, taunting him with my eyes. "Oh really?" I purred. "I'd like to see you try!"

Repositioning himself to face me directly, Jake smirked and presented an expression I hadn't seen grace the features of his face in ages. As he reached for my other hand, I immediately sat up straighter, forcing him to abandon his previous movement, as if he was second-guessing his next move. _I think he is actually playing along! Were you thinking of fighting back, Jake? Please don't stop!_

A smile spread across Jake's face as neither of us moved for a few brief moments. Looking me straight in the eye, I could feel the unspoken challenge even before he began to speak.

"Really? You'd like to see me try, would you?" he questioned, inviting me to make the next move. "Well, while I do think I need to show 'Ms. Super Tuff' that throwing popcorn isn't permitted around these parts, I'm afraid I can't allow you to miss a single scene of this _precious movie_, 'Ms. I'm-Completely-Obsessed-With-Hollywood-Celebrities!'" I stared at him, momentarily stunned by his out-of-character playfulness, as he clearly enjoyed making fun of my complete obsession with the entire Hollywood world.

"Oh, I _am_ dead serious about finishing this movie," I challenged, yelling a bit too loudly for the small living room of our apartment. And you know I don't take these things lightly, but Jake, someone has to teach you to lighten up!" Pulling my left hand free of his, I poked him as hard as I could in the ribs, waiting to gauge his reaction to my meager physical attack.

I absolutely loved when this goofy side of him came out, and it seemed to make an appearance less and less as Jake worked his way through college and became the focused individual now sitting beside me. The light of the television accentuated the baby-faced structure of his features, illuminating the round, softness of his jaw line. I remembered him being so nervous and stuttering the night I agreed to become his wife, showing more emotion in those pivotal five minutes than his overly reserved demeanor often allowed.

Smirking evilly, I threw two more pieces of popcorn, watching in excited anticipation as they bounced off the curve of his cheek. Unable to control myself, I laughed hysterically at the exasperated look instantly shot in my direction.

"That's it, Bells!" He sat up, pushing up the sleeves of his t-shirt to reveal more of the muscles underneath. "You know I hate having a good movie interrupted," he said, mocking the line I had used on him countless times.

He lunged, spilling my popcorn all over the floor while I giggled and squealed as he wrestled me into a pinned position on the ground. Continuing to fight against him, I kicked and squirmed as he tried to trap me in place. I was laughing too hard to be much of a challenge to anyone, especially someone as determined as Jake, and victory soon belonged to him. As I tried to wiggle away, I realized it was no use; the fight for popcorn throwing rights was over.

Despite my wounded ego, I took the opportunity to stare up at the face I'd known so long, smiling sweetly in the hopes he wouldn't let me up quickly and end our playful banter. He grinned down at me, returning the sentiment, and slowly leaned over as I closed my eyes, preparing for the kiss I was sure was coming.

Out of nowhere, pieces of popcorn began to bounce off my forehead, and my eyes flew open just as Jake let the next piece fall from the tips of his fingers. I laughed uncontrollably at his unexpected antics, continuing until tears were running down the sides of my face. Again, he slowly leaned over, and I thought that this time he was either going to lecture me or start the attack all over again. However, he managed to surprise me yet again, by simply leaning over and kissing the tip of my nose. A quiet, rumbled, "You're cute…" slipped from his lips, and I groaned to myself, so annoyed by his cocky arrogance.

"You are such a jerk!" I said in my best 'you irritate me' voice before giving him a firm knee to his ass. Rolling his eyes and laughing, he pulled himself up and quickly settled back onto the couch. Leaning back on my elbows, I propped myself up, sticking out my meager display of a chest, and looked at him flirtatiously, hoping he would jump at the chance to join me again on the floor. _I'm right here, Jake. Come and get me!_

Disappointment quickly replaced the excitement of moments before as I noticed his focus drifting back to the movie on the screen. I watched him study the film, his eyes intense and focused as if his mind was attempting to memorize every frame. Without warning, his attention snapped back in my direction as he smiled and urged, "So, Bells, you never answered my question."

_Question? What question? And why aren't you with me down here creating all kinds of crazy questions we can discuss much later?_

"Which one?" I whispered, lacing my words with the faintest hint of a whine, while wiping as much of the popcorn off the couch as I could before I scooted back into position.

"The 'free pass' question," he practically shrieked, as though he couldn't believe I would've forgotten. "You know...if you could sleep with any celebrity, knowing it wouldn't bother me, who would it be?"

Taking a moment to silently curse this stupid question, I got the idea that avoiding the topic, which was something I'd managed to do quite a few times, wasn't going to work. His face had taken on the strong-willed stare that Jake always used when his mind had locked on a particular goal.

"Not this again!" I pleaded, laughing at the ridiculous subject he blatantly refused to drop. "This has to be the dumbest thing you've ever asked me. So, you seriously want me to pick just anyone? My ultimate fantasy celebrity?"

"Yeah, that's the point! Anyone famous, one night, no questions asked," he examined, shifting slightly. "Who would you want to sleep with? Come on, Bells, stop being such a prude and play along!"

_Did he just call ME a prude? Wasn't he the one who literally just turned down a little naked fun time on the floor?_

The eager expression in his eyes told me that this question really meant something to him, but still, a part of me wanted to play this cool and not give him the satisfaction of an answer just yet.

"Um, I don't know," I choked out a little nervously. "I've never really thought about it."

_Okay, so that was a bold face lie. _As far back as I could remember, I'd always fantasized about celebrity crushes and the men in my movie world. Patrick Swayze had single-handedly gotten me through those very awkward teenage years, and I was pretty positive that if my VHS of _Dirty Dancing_ had told stories of my torrid thoughts, my mother would've had me hospitalized for a sex addiction. The moment Jake had asked the "free pass" question, I felt uncomfortable. He was asking me to expose a pivotal part of my character, the celebrity addict part that had always been solely mine and no one else's. When I momentarily thought about how I would answer, almost unbidden, a flawless face (and a terrific body) had blasted into my brain.

"You're so lying to me right now! I can see right through you," he barked, balling his hands into fists as his impatience settled into his nerves. "Just tell me, please! I won't judge! Who is it?"

_Why is this so important to him? I haven't seen him act so childish in a really long time. _"You're so stupid!" I continued, trying one more time to deflect his interest. "When would I ever, in a million years, get the opportunity to use a 'free pass?' For one thing, I would have to run into this random celebrity. Not likely. Secondly, I would have to convince him to sleep with me. The whole thing is laughable."

"You said 'him!" he cheered, excited to have unearthed the smallest clue. "So you're saying it's a dude? I _knew_ you had someone in mind." He laughed with the nerdy hysteria of a twelve-year-old boy. "I gotta admit though, I was kind of hoping for some hot chick we could share."

A small flash of irritation danced across my face at the image Jake just painted. "Oh, my, God! You're being so annoying!" I spat, honestly wishing the whole conversation would end.

"Okay, let me break the ice," he added, paying no attention to my clear lack of interest in the topic. "I would totally use my free pass on Leah Clearwater. She is so smokin hot! Plus, she kinda looks like you, a little, so you couldn't get mad at me. It's almost a compliment."

"Oh, thanks!" I groaned, punching him in the side. "You sure didn't need to think about that one too long. So, let me get this straight. If Leah Clearwater should knock on my door right now and say: 'Is it all right if I come in and have mind-blowing, head-board banging sex with your new fiance?' I am just supposed to say, 'Yep, no problem. He keeps some condoms in his wallet.'"

"Yes! Not only would you be okay with it, Bells, but you'd be excited and happy for me!"

_Is this some kind of weird man thing? Who is this man, and what has he done with Jake?_

"Oh! Silly me. Of course I'd be happy. What girl isn't happy to have her man in the next room fucking one of Maxim's sexiest women?" I rolled my eyes, trying not to crack a smile at the truly hilarious nature of our conversation.

He sighed and looked at me with a trace of frustration edging around the corners of his eyes. "You are taking this all too seriously, Babe. The idea is that this is an ultimate fantasy, and the chances of it happening are so slim, that we would be rooting for each other if it ever did. It's just a silly joke."

Studying him for a moment, I could tell he was really serious about this and couldn't help but allow the smile I had been fighting to tug at the corners of my lips. The fact that this ridiculous conversation was making Jake act so young and goofy was enough to get me to play temporarily along.

"Just humor me," he flirtatiously pleaded. "I've told you my pick. We're just doing this for fun. We watch these movies every week together for_ you_. I love sharing your Hollywood obsession, but you gotta let me have some fun with it, too. So who is it?"

The battle was over, and there was no use putting it off any longer. Having just watched _Afterglow_ last month, I knew Jake would recognize his name. He was Hollywood's new 'it-guy,' and every woman in the country had instantly fallen in love with him. His name alone could do things to me that I knew Jake would never…even…try.

"Edward Masen. My free-pass would be Edward Masen."

**A/N: Hmmmmmmm…I thought this was going to be a Bella/Edward story? How about we jump ahead in time a bit and see how these two lovebirds are doing?**

**For those of you who hate the idea of Bella being even remotely capable of "loving" Jake, let me say this...I have always believed that a person must first experience the warm feelings that come with first love before they can really, truly define and recognize what it means to meet their soul mate. So, we know that Jake is that first love, so that would lead a certain someone as the soul mate. Feel better? **

**I'd love for you to leave a review and tell me who your fantasy "free pass" would be…..**

**Actually, I'm begging for reviews!**


	2. Chapter 1: Frustration

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight…..again….DAMN!**

**Thank you to SquallCullen for your support and Momma Laura for being my comma and grammar police.**

**Thanks to PTB and BelleDean and TDS88 for this chapter's beta work.**

**It's been years since the Prologue, let's see if those two lovebirds are still quite so lucky in love…**

CHAPTER 1-FRUSTRATION

I woke up in the morning to the irritating sound of my alarm clock's radio blaring Katy Perry's "Friday Night." _Ugh. This is so NOT night. Is it even Friday? Either way, this song should be outlawed at this time of day. _Trying to let my head clear, I stared at the ceiling for a moment or two and listened to Katy for the remainder of the song.

"Why the hell does she sound so happy at 5:45 in the fucking morning? It isn't natural!" I groaned, burying my face into the cool depths of my pillow.

Remembering my boring and sad evening the night before, I rolled over to face my fiancé, anticipating his dark brown eyes staring back at me, secretly enjoying my struggle and irritation at having to wake up at this God-awful time of day. He would be smiling in a 'I'm discreetly trying not to laugh my head off at how funny you are' fashion. Very much a morning person, Jake was efficient and driven, always having enough energy to fuel and excite everyone around him. He loved working and feeling like he was making the most out of every day.

I missed him last night and thought a quick morning romp with my adorable man might put me in better spirits to face another mindless day at good ol' Eclipse Marketing Solutions.

However, Jake's warm body was once again not occupying the space next to me.

"Dammit Jacob! What the hell?" I yelled, punching the empty void on the bed.

_Why the hell hadn't he come home last night? Was he working late AGAIN?_ Isn't _three nights in one week a bit excessive? And, why am I no longer noticing his absence in my sleep? It's like my body has forgotten his even exists ... in more ways than one._

After a minute or two of pissed off meditation, I sat up and switched on the lamp. My favorite Labyrinth t-shirt was hopelessly bunched around my chest, and I practically ripped Mr. Bowie in half straightening it out in a frustrated hurry. Feeling hurt, sad, and all together irritated, I realized I wanted to fall asleep in Jacob's arms at night and wake up snuggled up against him in the morning. There was a reason I had been engaged to this man for four years. I wanted the companionship. I _needed_ the companionship…and I wanted to get married.

I glanced over at the bedside table and quickly grabbed my iPhone, checking to see if he had left a message.

_I swear, Jake, if you haven't at least let me know you are alive and not left for dead on the Chicago streets, I will personally walk into your lovely little office today and kick you in the balls._

In a manner of seconds, my anger mostly melted away as my phone's lovely green icon notified me of a new voicemail.

"You've never managed to, REALLY, let me down Jake…" I sighed and smiled. _God, he's hardworking._

Before retrieving the voicemail, I stared for a moment at the picture that had been the background of my cell for five generations of phones now: our engagement photo. We'd been so in love, happy, and innocently excited when the photo had been taken. Originally, we'd wanted a short engagement and planned on marrying only six months after I'd excitedly put the ring on my finger. But, things changed, and Jacob and I had decided our careers were more important than marriage. We were on the same career path, and I knew we would make it official someday. I had the ring, and that is what mattered to me.

I focused on Jake's face in the photo for a moment. He was a very attractive man. His dark hair and dark eyes made him the literal definition of "tall, dark, and handsome." Jacob's grandfather, William Black Sr., was Native American, 100% Quileute, and it showed through Jake's gorgeous complexion and skin tone. He was athletic and muscular, but he didn't spend time at the gym, believing it to be a waste of time. He would never throw away an hour of his day to focus that much effort on physical appearance when that hour could go toward his career. I had always admired that about him. He was just one of the sickening people who came by their looks naturally. He was very much the "All-American" boy...and I loved him.

Pressing the button, I listened to Jake's message, "Hey Bells! I'm so sorry! You know I have been swamped at work, and I just figured if I came home that you would be sleeping anyway. I'm going to stay and try to get a bit more work done. I'll probably just crash here. See you when you come in tomorrow. Talk to you la- Oh! Wait, I almost forgot. We got invited to a marketing party Friday night. Remind me to tell you about it when you get here. I think you'll be pretty pumped. Well, better get back to it. Later, Bells!"

_Shit! Another boring marketing party! We were supposed to go to a movie Friday. He'd promised me a night out, and I really wanted to see the new Edward Masen movie 'Clair de Lune.' I'd been looking forward to having eye sex with the screen for at least 3 months now. Jake can go to his party stag. It isn't like he isn't used to spending a few nights without me at his side._

Newly determined and ready to face the day, I walked the twenty steps from the bed to the kitchen of our loft style apartment. On paper, I was the only legal owner of the loft, but I had always thought of the place as belonging to both Jake and me. I had only reached Chicago two weeks before Jake, as we both moved out here together from Washington. He tied up loose ends back home while I came here and got a head start on finding us a place to live. I had luckily stumbled upon this great place we could actually afford in Lincoln Park, and things happened so quickly that before I knew it, I had bought my first place. By the time Jake had showed up, which ended up being four weeks instead of two, the pesky paperwork had already been signed and done. I guess I'd just never got around to adding his name to the deed, and it didn't really matter. This was our cozy home.

I started my usual morning rituals of getting ready for work. Turning on the television, I immediately scanned through my DVR list and turned on the saved movie I always used as background noise for shit-filled mornings just like this. "Afterglow' had been Edward Masen's first movie, and it had made him a star at the age of 22. It had teen angst, romance, action, and adventure. It made me feel like that teenager with posters all over my walls again. So, while Jacob wasn't here to bitch and whine, I was going to enjoy my time with Mr. Masen while I had the chance.

I ate breakfast, showered, blow-dried my hair, and applied my makeup, leaving the door open to the bathroom so that the television could reflect against the mirror, and I could still enjoy Edward in all his 22-year old goodness. Just when I had finished my makeup, I turned and paused the movie right at a moment where the screen was simply a close-up of Edward's gorgeous face. I stared back at the mirror and inspected our reflections side by side. I had never been one of those girls who denied she was attractive. Nothing annoyed me more than a girl who described herself as "plain" or "average." However, I was not movie star beautiful. I'd always been told I had gorgeous hair. It was deep, chestnut brown, and I wore it long, letting it fall about midway down my back. In my humble opinion, it was my best feature. I had a fair complexion, and my features were delicate. My eyes were a soft shade of brown, and my lips were moderately full and always slightly too pink, as though I wore a constant shade of annoying lip-gloss. I had always considered myself lucky to have a petite build, never having to worry about my figure. But in all honesty, I would have shaved my head for a bigger pair of boobs.

"Mr. Masen. You, sir, are far too beautiful for your own good," I flirtatiously crooned at the reflection staring back at me. His warm, hazel eyes seemed to bore a hole straight through my flesh, and without even trying, he had seized my heart and robbed me of air to breathe. I could feel the flesh of my chest and neck begin to prickle as heat slowly traveled up my body, leaving even the tip of my fingers tingling in anticipation, yearning to reach out and touch his flawless skin. The lines of Edward's perfectly sculpted face were flawlessly evil, and his hair was tangled together in an array of dips and valleys forming what could only be described as a cascade of glowing embers. I slowly, nervously allowed my hand to reach forward and gently graze the cold surface of his skin. My breath hitched in my throat as I…

_Shit, Bella! What is wrong with you? _Yanking my hand away from my bathroom mirror, I felt like I was twelve again, and my mom had caught me making out with my favorite poster of Jonathan Taylor Thomas, which had been carefully torn out of the latest issue of _Teen Beat Magazine_. I irrationally spun around, feeling as though someone must have seen my ridiculous display of bathroom affection. Once I realized that idea was also ridiculous and I was indeed in the privacy of my own home, I couldn't help but laugh. Besides, in all honesty, I was entitled to make-out with the reflection of a hot actor from a 6-year old movie anytime I wanted to in my own home.

"Isabella Swan, you are the biggest nerd on the planet…" I groaned, rolling my eyes as I glanced over at the iHome clock radio sitting next to my hair dryer. Panic shot straight through me as I realized the time. "Shit! You are also going to be late for work and unemployed if you don't get your butt moving!"

I scurried around the loft, throwing on the remainder of my clothes. Scrambling for the door, I grabbed my purse, phone, and laptop before practically flying out of the apartment. After an elevator ride that seemed to drag on for an eternity, I sprinted through the lobby and hit the streets of Chicago running. I was lucky to live only a block off West Fullerton Avenue. It was only five blocks from the nearest subway Station, but it was still about a mile and I was so _not_ a runner.

_Why couldn't I have at least tried to be athletic once in my life? Track in high school would have come in handy right about now. Please let me just make it to the station in time and without tripping on a random crack in the pavement or running straight into some innocent businessman or happy tourist. _

Growing up, I had not been the most graceful child. My mother, Renee, even had me take ballet lessons for a couple of years when I was really little. She had hoped that the teachers could improve my somewhat awkward ability to fall over for no apparent reason at all. Needless to say, that didn't work. Despite my complete avoidance of any school activities or classes that required physical coordination of any kind, I had grown into what I considered a perfectly well-balanced adult. On any normal day, I could easily and, in my opinion, quite gracefully walk down the street. Running, however, was a completely different story.

By the time I reached the subway stop at the corner of West Fullerton and Sheffield, I was out of breath, a little sweaty, and basically a _not-so-hot mess_. Sagging with relief that I had actually caught my train, I plopped myself on the nearest bench, untangled my right arm from the strap of my purse, and dug my phone out to check for any messages. I had a new text message from Jake.

June 7, 2012 7:14 AM

_Morning Bells! Hope you slept well. _

_Let me know when you get on the train._

Smiling, I instantly replied.

_**On the train now. Slept fine until I realized you weren't home. :(**_

_**I want to talk about the party.**_

_What about the party? Sorry about last night. Forgive me?_

_**Of course, I forgive you. I will just talk to you when I come in.**_

_Ok, Bells! By the way, I want to change my free pass girl._

_**You had to text that to me?**_

_**Seriously? Couldn't wait? Ok, who?**_

_Yes! This is important stuff. What if she would walk into my office in the next 8 minutes?_

_**Wow, Jake! Speechless here. You didn't tell me who.**_

_**Doesn't count until I know!**_

_Tanya Denali. The chick is smoking hot. Got bored and watched a movie last night while I worked._

_**She is the worst actress on the planet!**_

_Free pass=no acting. Your pick still that douche Edmund Masen?_

_**It's Edward. Yes, he is.**_

**Getting off train. See you in a couple.**

The regal looking office building of Eclipse Marketing Solutions was only half a block from the subway, so it didn't take me long to dash inside and slip into the HR department unnoticed. Mr. Newton didn't ever show up until well past ten, and from what I could tell, Jessica didn't give a crap if I was a few minutes late. In fact, it was her ass I was normally making excuses for. Dropping my laptop at my desk, I made my way to the bathroom where I intended to reverse some of the damage my morning travels had caused. Luckily, I didn't normally wear a lot of makeup. I had a feeling if I did, my face would look like some sort of diseased zebra from the lines of sweat I had inherited from my mile long run down the sidewalks of my neighborhood. A few minutes later, after some good straightening, brushing, and water splashing, I headed back to desk feeling a little better about my appearance.

"Morning, Bella!" Jessica's valley-girl voice cheerfully squealed in my direction.

"Hey, Jess!" I greeted, just knowing she was going to notice my slightly disheveled appearance.

"Gosh, Bella. Don't take this the wrong way, but did you shower this morning? You look sweaty and are kind of smelly," Jessica asked. Her face scrunched into a look of disgust and pity.

_Did I really look that bad? I thought I looked almost cute before walking out of the bathroom a moment ago. Who was she to judge? I might not be a fashionista, but at least I didn't wear hot pink gauchos. Okay, that was mean. You love Jess, Bella…she can't help that she lacks a verbal filter._

"Yes, of course I showered," I said, laughing and giving her a playful push to the shoulder. "I nearly missed the train. I had to run my out-of-shape butt down Fullerton this morning. I nearly knocked over of a pair of University students in the process. Let's just say it wasn't my finest athletic endeavor."

"Oh…well, you really should give yourself more time to get to the train, Bella. Jake probably won't even want to kiss you looking like this, especially considering that you probably taste like salty yuck. Good thing the two of you have been together since the dawn of time. Looking like you do right now, if some hot chick walked in, your hunk of a man might be a bit tempted to rethink that beautiful ring on your finger."

I knew she must just be teasing me, but with Jess, it could sometimes be hard to decipher her true intensions. Here she was, lecturing me, when she was literally late for work every other day. Either way, I needed a break from the oh-so intense thoughts of Miss Jessica Stanley and decided a coffee run was in order. Hell, I was already late getting a start on my work, what was ten more minutes?

"You're probably right, Jess. I'm the one who _needs_ to work on my time management skills," I said with just enough sarcasm to make me feel better. "But anyway, want some coffee? I think I'm going to run across the street to New Moon Cafe and grab some."

"That sounds great!" she happily answered. I could tell from her squared shoulders that she felt she had really taught me an important life lesson a few moments ago. "Carmel latte, please. With extra foam!"

"I know, Jess!" I laughed while turning toward my desk. "You ask for the same exact drink every single time I go." Grabbing my purse and phone, I hurried toward the front doors.

"What if I had changed my order today? Huh? I'm not a predictable person, Bella. You know that!" Jess yelled, clearly insulted.

I couldn't help but smile as I grabbed the door handle. Five minutes in Jess's company both irritated and managed to brighten my day. "You sure aren't, Jess. That is what I love about you!" I turned and threw her a smile across the lobby before heading back out onto the city sidewalk.

New Moon Café was two blocks down from Eclipse Marketing Solutions. It was a cozy little hole-in-the-wall that provided awesome coffee and pastries to hundreds of loyal customers every day. Since I had a couple minute walk ahead of me, I decided I would call Rose and see how her night went yesterday. Anything was more exciting than my pathetic excuse of an evening.

A moment later, Rose's sleepy voice answered, "You better be bleeding and half dead in your apartment to be calling me at this God-forsaken time of day."

"Morning Rose!" I said in an overly enthusiastic voice, knowing how much she hated me waking her up.

"Bitch!" she groaned into the phone, but I could hear the hint of amusement in her voice. "If I didn't fucking love you, I'd never speak to you again for calling me before 10."

Rosalie also worked at Eclipse, which is where we met shortly after I moved to Chicago four years ago. Rose's job, however, was leagues above mine in terms of prestige and cool factor. Rose served as the face of Eclipse at parties, marketing events, and Hollywood functions. She did everything from organizing parties the company hosted, managing crowd control, to providing personal assistant duties to celebs that came into town. She was granted access to all the best events, clubs, and premieres. The job was a direct reflection of Rose, herself. She was gorgeous enough to be a movie star and fit in with all the beautiful people constantly surrounding her. She was tall, blonde, fashionable, and in many ways, the walking opposite of me. Her body was so curvy that she literally complained that finding clothes to fit her frame was nearly impossible at the good designer shops. Rose made people's heads turn with her looks and personality.

"I figured you might want to try to get your gorgeous butt to work before Newton showed up for once," I teased.

"I have Newton eating out of the palm of my hand. At least, he would if I'd let him," she laughed. "God, men are so fucking easy to control, B!"

"Yeah, I'm sure they are, Rose…when you look like you."

"Bitch, don't you dare," she lectured, using her best Kathleen Turner voice. "You know you are gorgeous, and I'm tired of you denying it. The next time I hear this self-pitying bullshit from you again, I'll stick the heel of one of my stilettos in your big, beautiful brown eye. "

Secretly smiling at her compliment/death threat, I changed the subject to the reason for my call. "So, I'm kind of pissed at Jake." I knew this would get her awake and attentive. Rose and Jake didn't exactly speak the same language, especially when the subject was me.

"What the fuck has Mr. Super-Tan-All-American-Workaholic-Douche done now?"

"Rose!"

"Sorry, sorry. Okay, what has Jake done to hurt my B?" she corrected, clearly sounding annoyed that I didn't appreciate the first, and possibly more accurate, description of my fiancé.

"It's okay. I'm just so frustrated," I explained. "He didn't come home again last night. That's the third time this week. I know he's working and trying to build the foundation for what will lead to a better life for us both, but I'm beginning to feel like a single woman. Plus, when we do talk or text, it's about stupid shit. Like for example, this morning he wanted to change his 'free pass.'"

I'd finally reached New Moon and took my place in the line of mostly fellow office workers. The place was packed as usual. I didn't mind. The owner, a woman about my age named Angela, was a sweetheart. I figured she deserved the business, and I didn't mind the short wait. There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds, so I stood there waiting to place my order and hoping that Rose had the perfect words of wisdom to boost my spirits. Generally, when Rose was silent, I knew her wheels were turning.

"Rose?" I whispered into the phone, not wanting to make a fool out of myself in the crowded line.

After a moment, her voice finally broke the silence. "Who did Mr. Works-a-Lot pick to screw for his 'free pass'?"

"Is that seriously what you are going to ask me right now, Rosalie?" I was clearly irritated.

"Why wouldn't I, B?" Rose answered. "Look, I'm sorry Jake hasn't been home or whatever, but we have been through this a thousand times. You know how I feel about your relationship, but I have agreed to keep my very negative opinions to myself. I'm sure he loves you, but…." Rose cleared her throat, and I thought I heard a small sigh of frustration. "Just tell me who the fuck he picked."

Rose was right. We had been through this conversation too many times to count. Jake and Rose were drastically different people, and in many ways, those differences were the reason I was able to love them both. They each filled a very specific void in my life. Jake was my organizer, while Rosalie tried to bring out my inner diva.

"Tanya Denali," I practically vomited into the phone.

Rose snorted into her phone, making it clear she felt the same way about the bleached blonde toothpick. "Bella, please go back to work and dump that man. If this is the kind of taste he has in a woman, I'm beginning to question his sanity."

I rolled my eyes and covered my mouth, so not to laugh out loud while in the line of still tired looking people.

"So Bella? Who's _your_ free pass?" The teasing tone of Rose's voice made it clear she was now fully awake and having fun with this topic of conversation.

"Edward Masen. You knew that! I haven't wavered on my choice since that night we rented _Afterglow _shortly after I moved out here from Seattle."

"Edward fucking Masen. I want to lick that man's balls, B. He's golden-haired sex-on-a-stick," Rose practically screamed into the phone, while making it sound like she had orgasmed in the process. An older gentleman standing in front of me in line clearly heard her entire opinion of Mr. Masen and eyed me with a look of disapproval and shock.

Covering my smile with one hand, I decided the rest of this colorful conversation needed to wait until I had a bit more privacy. "Rose, I gotta go. Getting coffee. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Sure thing, B. I love your skinny brunette ass. You know that, right?"

"Of course, Rose. Love ya, too!" I responded and hung up the phone.

After ordering the drinks and having a quick chat with Angela, I made my way back to the office. I needed to talk to Jake about the party that I really didn't want to go to, plus I actually needed to get some work done sometime before the end of the day. I dropped Jess's latte on her desk and tucked my purse away. Jess was nowhere to be seen, so I figured she must have made a run to the copy machine. I figured I better go talk to Jake while I had the chance.

Jake worked as an editor up on the third floor. He had landed the job we both had applied for right out of college. The job was to oversee and run the small publication Eclipse Marketing Solutions put out every month detailing upcoming events the firm was sponsoring. A lot of agents and professionals in the entertainment industry used the publication as a resource for their celebrity clients. If agents knew what was happening in the city, they could make sure their "stars" would get their pictures taken at all the right places. I remember when Jake landed the job, being so proud of him for getting it. We had both been up against a pretty competitive group of fresh, young journalism students. So I figured if either of us got it, we had scored a home run in the job market. Four years later, I was still proud of him, but a huge part of me wished for something better than an HR position for my career.

I softly knocked on his office door before stepping in. He was sitting behind his desk, studying the screen of his laptop with clear determination. He always looked like that whenever he worked. All work was serious work to Jake.

"Hey, Bells!" Jake smiled as he greeted me, standing up from behind his desk and walking around to wrap his warm arms around my waist.

"Hey, Jake." My voice came out sounding a little more deflated than I wanted. "I gotta get back to work in a couple minutes, but I just wanted to see your face," I sighed. "I really miss you. Seems like I've hardly seen you lately."

Shrugging his shoulders to keep things light, Jake kissed my forehead. "You know I wouldn't work if I didn't think I needed to, Bella. I want to be home with you, too, but if I can work hard and manage to get promoted or maybe move on at a bigger magazine, the possibilities for our future are endless. But let's not talk about that now. We get to go out together tomorrow. You are going to be so excited about this party I got us tickets to that all will be forgiven."

"About that...I really don't want to go to another Eclipse party, Jake. We never get invited to the really cool ones, you know, with _real_ celebrities, and besides, you always spend the evening talking to other editors while I'm stuck with Jess. I was thinking I'd skip this one and maybe just go see _Clair de Lune_. The previews look really good, and I think there's going to be a preview screening somewhere in the city this weekend."

Jake had a smirk on his face, and I couldn't tell if he was mad at me or inwardly laughing at my refusal to go. Maybe he just thought my taste in movies was horrendous. He just stood there, looking at me with a mix of amusement and arrogance.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, my voice laced with an edge of irritation.

"Because, Bells, you would _really _enjoy this party. I'd appreciate it if you would come."

Sighing and feeling frustrated, I realized my morning had gotten me in an even worse mood than I originally thought. I decided I would talk to him about this later when, and if, he came home. Arguing with my fiancé about date night at work was never a good idea.

"Let's just drop this, okay, Jake? We can talk about it when you get home tonight. Just know that I don't think I want to go with you tomorrow. I'm not in the mood to argue with you right now." I turned to leave his office and head back to my much smaller and much less impressive corner of Eclipse Marketing Solutions.

"Okay, Bells. That's fine," Jake sarcastically agreed, and I turned back around to notice a slightly mischievous smile spreading across his face. "I just thought you might want to know who'll be at the party tomorrow night."

Now truly frustrated and a bit tired of Jake's game, I responded a bit harshly.

"Okay, Jake. Since you clearly want me to act interested in your damn party, who's going to be there tomorrow night?"

Jake's smile doubled in size, and his eyes gained a slightly evil gleam as he answered,

"Edward Masen…"

**A/N: Oh snap! I wouldn't be surprised if Bella needs to head home and change her pants after that bomb being dropped in her lap. :/ How'd you feel if you were in Bella's shoes?**

**Reviews would be great! I need to know there are people out there reading my humble little tale! **


	3. Chapter 2: Shock

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight…..I just love the characters and this story, and am desperate for a couple of reviews to know that someone is out there reading.**

**Huge thank you to Content1 for encouraging me and laughing at my Rose.**

**Also, I have to thank RainDanceTammy and ****o0S0o**** for the early reviews. Amazing!**

**So, let's just see how our girl Bella is going to react to Jake's news…..**

Chapter 2-Shock

I stared in stunned silence as the elevator chimed, opening its doors to the lobby of Eclipse. Standing frozen for what seemed like endless moments, I gazed straight into the open space above the marbled floors. In my distant consciousness, I heard the elevator chime again, and the doors once again joined together, leaving me standing there, trapped inside the shell of the elevator.

"I am going to be in the same room as Edward Masen tomorrow night," I whispered into the closed-off space. A small, indiscreet smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, while my heart began the rhythmic drumming that always accompanied my nervous excitement. _At least that's what I thought I heard Jake say moments ago. He had said that Edward was going to be there, right? Am I dreaming? Is this some sick hallucination? Why am I even letting myself get excited about this? I probably won't be able to get within fifty feet of my 'Afterflow' God. Shit, Bella! Breathe!_

Having regained enough sense to realize I was spending my morning standing inside the elevator rather than working, I hit the button and waited for the doors to slowly slide back open. I hurried to my desk, hoping that by focusing on my work, I might manage to get through the day without suffering from either a spontaneous heart attack brought on by fangirl excitement, or, in all honesty, simply peeing my pants. I sat down slowly, still desperately trying to absorb the piece of information Jake just threw at me. Flipping open my Macbook, I put all my energy into concentrating on the fact that I actually had a job to do.

"Oh. My. God. Bella! Your phone has been ringing off the hook. If I have to listen to that awful vampire show theme song one more time, I might have to shove pencils in my ears. Please put your phone on silent or something." Jessica's voice broke through the last layers of my Edward Masen cloud-of-excitement. "And why do you have that goofy smile on your face? Wait, don't tell me! I don't want to hear about your quickie with Jake. I can't believe he kissed you after all that running and sweating."

"We didn't have a quickie, Jess." If her face was anything to go by, she really didn't believe me.

"Okay, whatever. I don't really care. Will you just take care of your phone? It's seriously giving me the biggest headache, and I _have_ to get this work done before Mr. Newton shows up."

Having had enough of Jess's cringe-worthy nagging, I reached for my phone, planning to put it on vibrate after I checked to see who had been calling. Sure enough, as soon as I unlocked the home screen, the phone lit up indicating I had five missed calls. _Who would have called me 5 times within the last 10 minutes? That seems a bit excessive. Hopefully nothing has happened to Charlie or Renee._ Instantly panicked, I checked the recent calls. They were all from Rose. I knew I needed to call her back, but my brain was stuck in Edward Masen autopilot mode, and before I could hear about Rosalie's latest meltdown, I had to validate Jake's shocking tidbit of news.

Over the years, my pop culture obsession had taught me many valuable skills. From the art of poster hanging to tabloid hoarding, I had become the master of knowing the ins and outs of my favorite celebs. When it came right down to it though, there was no skill I was more proud of than my knack for cyber stalking. I instantly realized that in my frantic attempts to get to work on time this morning, I had forgotten one of my most vital rituals, checking Edward Masen's Twitter feed. I instinctively hit the app on my iPhone and found therealEdwardMasen. I scrolled through all his previous posts until I found his newest one, posted only moments before.

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): Getting ready to hit Chi-town this

weekend. You coming bro? EmmettMcCarty

Before I had time to mentally digest this information, two more tweets appeared in the feed.

**EmmettMcCarty**(Emmett McCarty): Hells yeah! Gonna be there. Maybe catch a Bears game this weekend? TheRealEdwardMasen

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): Gotta party tomorrow bro! Peeps I gotta charm. Game Sunday, I'm there. EmmettMcCarty

"Holy shit!" I spontaneously blurted while managing to drop my phone and startle Jess who appeared to be getting far more work done today than I certainly was. _He IS coming to Chicago AND going to a party._ My hands started to shake, and suddenly the walls of our little corner of Eclipse seemed like they had grown legs and were beginning a slow and steady march towards my desk.

"God, Bella. You are acting so weird today. Something wrong?" Jess asked, looking almost genuinely concerned.

"Sorry, Jess, I'm cool. Just ignore me. This has just been a weird morning." I shrugged and looked at her with my most apologetic eyes. She mumbled something under her breath that I was pretty sure I didn't want to hear and got back to work.

Just then, my phone started flashing and shaking, indicating another call from Rose. I felt almost angry at her constant interruptions. I was obsessed and in the zone at this point, and when my mind locked on something dealing with celebs, it was best if I didn't try to fight it. _Doesn't she know I have more important things to do right now? _I decided a text would be the fastest and least disrupting way to appease her, while allowing me quickly to get back to my important research.

June 7, 2012 9:38AM

**Hey, I'm at work. Super busy. **

**Can I call you later? Something wrong?**

_We MUST TALK NOW. Big news!_

**The party tomorrow?**

_Fuck, B! I wanted to tell you. Was it Jake?_

**Yes, Jake. Can I call you later?**

**Mr. Masen=no focus**.

_LOL! Yes, talk later. 3 u!_

Telling myself I only needed five more minutes to find out more information about tomorrow's party (and then I _really_ would get to work), I quickly opened Safari and continued my exploration into the life of Edward Masen. Having done this same search a thousand times before, my computer practically predicted the clicks my fingers would make before they ever hit the keys. I typed in his name, and…voila! His beautiful face appeared on my screen. I sighed, leaning an elbow on my desk; I rested my face in my hand, still feeling the gentle shaking of my nerves. Euphoria coursed through my body as I realized that he, this beautiful man, was my drug, my own personal brand of heroin. I was irrevocably addicted to Edward Masen.

I scanned through the list of links to see if I could find out anything new, discovering a movie premiere, the start date of his newest production, and an upcoming award ceremony in the process. Continuing to dig for information about the party that was plaguing my thoughts, I clicked the last link on the page and was smacked in the face with a picture of HER. _You have to be kidding me! Seriously, Masen?_ My heart practically shattered into a million pieces as I glared at the face of Tanya Denali, who was being described as 'Edward Masen's new girlfriend' in the caption that followed. I snorted, disgusted with this new piece of intel. Thinking about my text conversation with Jake this morning, I tried to figure out what Jake would find attractive about _her_. _I just don't get it. She's okay, I guess. Long blonde hair, typical blue eyes, killer body, long legs…_ I sighed. _Okay, well maybe I get Jake, but Edward? _Tanya Denali was a carbon copy of his last girlfriend and just like the many others who had come before her.

"I give it three months…tops," a voice teased from behind my shoulder.

So completely startled by the sudden intrusion into my investigative journalism (good to know I was using my college degree for something), I nearly toppled over in an attempt to spin my chair around to face the source of intruder's voice. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, slowly looking up into the face of Mike Newton, my boss at Eclipse Marketing Solutions.

"Hey Mike, sorry! I got a little sidetracked by some silly celebrity gossip. Is there something I can help you with?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.

"Ah, no actually. Just wanted to check in with my favorite HR girl this morning. I assume you've heard about the big party guest we nailed for tomorrow night, judging from your little internet search there?"

"Yep, I heard," I answered, keeping my tone sounding as nonchalant as possible.

"I know that you are probably already planning on going to the party since I opened it up to _most _of the staff," he continued, shifting his weight to lean slightly too close for my comfort. I quickly wondered who had been left off _most _of the list. "…but I wanted to see if you'd be interested in getting a drink with me afterwards?"

I barely managed to contain my gag reflex. "Sorry, Mike. You know that I will be going with Jake. I have gone to _every_ company party with Jake," I murmured, trying to sound both sweet, yet annoyed. He knew all right, but Mike just didn't care.

"Well, can't blame a guy for trying. I better head upstairs, got a company to run. Have a nice day, Bella, and think about my offer. It remains open, anytime," he said with a smirk as he turned, walked through the lobby and into the elevator to head up to his office on the 5th floor. Mike had been trying incessantly to get me to go out with him, or if I was being honest with myself, to fuck him, every chance he got since I started at Eclipse almost four years ago. Reminding him of my engagement to Jake had become a weekly occurrence.

Rolling my eyes, I turned back around to face my desk. _When will he get the hint that I am not interested? Mike, you aren't unattractive. I would even call you cute. But you are no Jake, and you definitely are no Edward Masen._

The next twenty-four hours passed by in a blur of work, shock, and edgy impatience. Considering my frazzled start yesterday morning, I had managed to perform my HR duties at record speed. Not only did I finish putting together all the company's new health care benefits packages, but I also finished updating the new Eclipse employee information into the computer. I had tried calling Rose last night but was only able to reach her voicemail. I left her a message, figuring she would call me when she had a chance. Jake had come home to grab a couple hours of sleep around 2 AM, but he disappeared again before I had even rolled out of bed.

Now with only an hour left before I could leave the office, go home, and frantically try to make myself hot enough to even be in the same room as my amber-haired sex-God, my imminent meeting was beginning to wear on my strung out nerves. Truthfully, I felt like crying.

_I need to pull myself together. Why is this making me so crazy? I have been to loads of marketing parties with Jake. This is something we do all the time. Granted, those parties don't usually include real celebrities, but still this shouldn't be that big of a deal. Yes, meeting Edward Masen would be insanely amazing and a dream come true, but Bella. You have to pull yourself together. At most, you will say 'hi' and MAYBE take a picture with him. Although...that is totally looked down upon, and Mike might even have issues with that...but still it would be really nice to have a picture...so that's it._

Agreeing with my inner conscience, I momentarily convinced myself that I could handle whatever life threw at me that evening. I finally finished up the remainder of my work and started my trek to the kitchenette to see if anyone had left any treats I might snack on during my train ride home. Just as I turned the corner, I met Jess coming out carrying two chocolate chip cookies and a half-eaten sandwich from the deli across the street.

"So, any plans this weekend, Bella?"

"Oh, um, just a party tonight that I have to go to with Jake, "I answered," trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. Jessica hadn't brought the party up once since Jake had told me Edward would be there, so I was beginning to suspect she had been unlucky enough not to be included on the staff invite list.

"Ewwwww! Poor Bella! Not another boring Eclipse party," whispered Jess. She grinned at me, clearly finding it funny that I was being forced to go. "I wish they would actually get someone decent. Like a real celebrity for once. Oh! I know who would be awesome. Emmett McCarty! I would just about die to meet him. He is so hot. Anyway, I'm rambling. So sorry, Bella! All those stuffy producers are always so gross."

Playing along, I shrugged my shoulders and tried to look defeated and a tad sorry for myself. "Yeah," I sighed. "I know what you mean…but hey, are there any good treats in there?" I pointed toward the kitchenette.

"Sorry, Bella! Took the last ones. I guess it just isn't your day, is it? Well, have a great weekend." She smiled at me, and I stared at her, a little bewildered by her complete lack of social charms.

"It sure isn't, Jess." I tried to hide my grin as I turned around and walked back to my desk to gather my things. _I guess the dessert gods are trying to tell you something, Bella. You SO do not need to be bloated for your meeting with Mr. Masen. _I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text to Jake.

_2012-06-08 4:56PM_

**I'm heading out. Can you leave now?**

**I would love the company on the train.**

_Hey babe…got a few more things to wrap up here. _

_Gonna be a while yet. Sorry._

**Ok, I will just see you at home. Can't wait**

**to actually spend some time with you tonight!**

_I'm excited, too. Talk later. Super busy now._

I flipped off the lights of my pathetic excuse of an "office" before I quickly crossed the lobby. I was determined to get home and give myself ample time to transform into something special. I emerged back out on the Chicago sidewalks feeling dizzy and almost dreamlike. Yesterday's shock had returned in full force as I practically stumbled the 300 feet to the train. I stifled the butterflies that had recently woken in my stomach and grabbed my phone to dial the only person I knew who could penetrate my current state of insanity. _Please answer, Rose! I know I am acting like a complete wacko, but I don't think I can do this. This isn't rational, but it is my reality right now. PICK UP THE PHONE._

Just as I sat down next to a business man, who was conveniently listening to his iPod, Rose's voice came blaring through my phone.

"So, you are going to fuck him tonight, right?"

"What! Who? Rose? This is Bella," I stammered. Stunned and completely baffled by her question, I nervously scanned the train to make sure no one had overheard her lovely greeting.

"Bitch, I know who I am talking to, B," Rose laughed. "I thought you wanted a chance to fuck Mr. Hot Dick Masen."

"Rose! Stop yelling into the phone. I am on the train and pretty sure at least five people can hear what you are saying. What the hell are you talking about? You are acting crazy, and in all honesty, I am too nervous right now to try to figure out where you are coming from with this."

Rose was silent for a moment before bursting into hysterical laughter. "Have you seriously not thought about the fact that you will be in the same room as Edward Masen in just a couple of hours? I thought he was like your dream fuck or something."

"Of course I have thought about it, Rose! It is all I have been thinking about since Jake dropped this bomb on me yesterday morning. I have hardly functioned at work the last two days, and I am still unsure how I managed to get anything done. And last night...I don't even remember doing _anything_. I may have walked in circles around the loft for all I know." I was practically crying by the time I ended my overly dramatic description of my behavior.

"That is precisely why we need to make some important decisions about your plan of action. Will you jack him off before you suck him off? Or would you rather play things a little simpler and let him take control? I guess you could also work licking his balls into the mix," Rose continued, advising me with such seriousness she may as well have been telling her grandma about the weather. "How do you feel about ball licking, B? If this is your one chance to tackle the motherland, you might as well go for it. We don't have much planning time, so you kind of need to figure this out."

I was speechless. My mind had become a whirlwind of incoherent thoughts that tumbled and swirled around the fantastic images Rose had just described. Words escaped me. I had no idea how to respond or what to think. Involuntarily, I shuddered a sob into the phone.

"Oh, Bella! What's wrong? You should be so excited. I didn't realize this guy made you so crazy," she whispered into the phone, sounding a little too amused. "So, seriously, you haven't even considered the fact that you might be able to cash in on that 'free pass' tonight? It's your golden opportunity. "

I hadn't considered that particular piece of the puzzle. Not once. I had honestly spent the last two days of my life as a stunned manifestation of teenage me. Thoughts I conjured of potential glances and possible photo ops had made me giddy enough barely to function. The "free pass" joke had always been Jake's thing. Bringing that possibly into the equation, no matter how absurd the idea was, could have rendered me catatonic.

"Rose, I am a nervous mess about tonight as it is. Can we please not joke about this? You know I have always thought that this "free pass" was a stupid idea. Why make a deal that would never happen in a million years? It is just ridiculous, really."

Still giggling, Rose continued, "That is exactly why you make a deal like that, B! The chances are slim to none, but if for some reason the stars do align in your favor, you are supposed to GO. FOR. IT!"

_Why is she being so passionate about this? Yes, I wanted Edward. Every woman in the world with hormones and an active vagina wanted Edward. But this was ridiculous. He dates models, actresses, and freaks of nature that have never known cellulite, stretch marks, or a greasy cheeseburger. He won't give me a second glance. It simply wasn't going to happen, and I am nervous enough without Rose placing more pressure on my small shoulders._

Inwardly, I just wanted to move this conversation to its end_. _I had called Rose for moral support, and instead of feeling better about my situation, I now felt worse.

"I appreciate the support, Rose. How about you just let me survive the evening without making a complete fool out of myself? What time are we supposed to be there? Jake forgot to mention it."

"Of course he did," Rose answered. I could practically hear her eyes rolling. "Be there at 9. Oh! And wear your black Calvin Klein. Your little ass looks hot in that dress."

Rose had a point. Buying that dress had been my first big splurge after arriving in Chicago. It was knee length and beautifully simple. With a one-shoulder design, the black dress hit my slender legs just above the knee and was cut perfectly to hug what curves I actually possessed.

"I was thinking of wearing my lace BCBG. Do you really think the Calvin is better?"

"Totally the Calvin. Have you seen the way Jake looks at you when you wear it? Keep it simple. You will be gorgeous."

If Rose, the queen of beautiful things, endorsed my little black number, I figured it would be good enough for anyone. Well, just about anyone. I wasn't sure anything in my mind could be good enough for the beauty of Edward Masen. "Alright, Rose. The Calvin it is. Hey, by the way, why didn't you call me back last night after blowing up my phone at work? I thought you _really _needed to talk to me about the party." It was my turn to give her a hard time.

"God, bitch! What a long story that is. Let's just say my phone took an unexpected dive in one of the toilets down at Smart Bar on Clark Street. It is a night I don't want to relive," she groaned. "But hey, I gotta get going. You know it takes me at least three hours to make myself presentable. See ya later babes. B's gonna get her sexy on."

Before I could protest or say goodbye, Rose had hung up, leaving me sitting on the train with a million fantasies floating in the air around me. The train had reached my stop, making it necessary for me to stand and begin the journey down Fullerton toward home.

I used the mile-long walk to clear my head. It was time for me to stop acting silly and behaving like tonight was going to be some kind of punishment. I was getting a night out with Jake, and for that, I was very excited. Meeting Edward Masen on top of it? Now that was icing on the cake!

When I finally made it home, I opened the front door to silence. I kicked off my heels and left them lying at the door, which was something that drove my very anal fiancé crazy. Realizing that a glass of wine was just the thing I needed before I faced the two hours of cleaning, shaving, plucking, and primping that was required to achieve maximum hotness, I walked to the kitchen to grab the bottle of Moscato from the fridge.

I paused momentarily; looking at the bottle in my hand and remembering the last time I was going to drink it.

_It had been a rare Saturday that Jake had taken off work. I had been so excited to spend the day with him. Planning to enjoy the day down at Navy Pier, Jake had agreed to ride with me on the ferris wheel so I could see the view of Lake Michigan. It was one of my favorite things about Chicago. Just as I was packing the bottle of Moscato, Jake had walked into the loft, cell phone in hand._

"_Sorry, Bells. I just got a call from work. Turns out I really need to go back in. Mike landed a pretty big deal that affects the magazine, so he wants me to work with Lauren on some of the details. I don't know the specifics."_

"_Oh…okay," I mumbled. "Lauren? Mike wants you to work with his assistant?" The idea seemed a little strange, especially for a Saturday._

"_Yeah, that's what he said. I guess she took some notes I need to see. You understand, don't you, Bells?" His tone was professional and slightly distant._

"_Yeah, sure, Jake. I know how important this job is to you," I answered, not truly believing the words escaping my lips._

"_Thanks, babe. You're the best!" Jake gave me a huge smile and kissed my forehead. Grabbing his keys from the table, he yelled over his shoulder as he headed out the door, "I'm not sure what time I'll be back, but I promise to make it up to you!"_

_And with that, he was gone…_

Grabbing the fancy wine opener that Jake swore we had to buy, I opened the bottle feeling not even a little guilty that he wasn't here to share. After pouring a liberal glass, I walked across the dark apartment and entered the bathroom. It was time to get serious and get ready for the party of a lifetime.

I showered for what seemed like an eternity, letting the wine and steam settle my much-abused nerves. Quickly drying off, I settled into the routine every girl rigorously goes through when it comes to prepping for a glamorous night out on the town. Time passed quickly as I was occupied with numerous beautification rituals. Before I knew it, the clock radio read 8:00PM, and I only had about thirty minutes to get into my dress, pick out my shoes, and head out the door. Just as I was walking across the loft, dressed only in my best bra and panties, my cell phone buzzed from the kitchen counter.

June 8, 2012 8:02PM

_Hey, Bells. Can I just meet you at the club? Still hung up here._

Irritated and hurt, I thought for a moment about not responding. I wondered what he would do if I just ignored him. _Would it even bother you if I didn't answer? Why are you even asking me, really? Do I have a choice? _Not wanting to start a fight, I figured it was useless to stir the pot now. The evening could still be saved. Besides, I knew I looked hot.

June 8, 2012 8:05PM

**I guess. I sort of hoped to have a handsome escort though.**

_I promise I will meet you outside._

_I am going to head that way in a few minutes. What dress are you wearing?_

**I'm not wearing a dress...yet! ;)**

_That's hot Bells._

**I guess you should be home more. What club am I going to?**

_Volturi on Division_

**I will be there at 9. I really need to finish dressing.**

I threw my phone on the counter, taking my annoyance out on the innocent iPhone rather than directing it at the man who had blown me off one too many times this week. I loved Jake, but something had to change soon. The late nights and insane hours had become his norm, and I was not okay with the direction our relationship had turned.

Determined to make him realize just exactly what he had been missing all those nights away at the office, I marched across the bedroom, channeling Rose's best "bitch, you better werk" swagger. I threw open my closet doors and reached for my dress. The black Calvin Klein shared the space at the far left of my closet with the single most important article of clothing I had ever purchased, an article that sadly had taken up residence there two years ago and had not shown any sign of eviction. Hanging there untouched and incredibly beautiful was my wedding dress. Shaking off the feelings of longing the dress always managed to conjure, I slipped the black number off the hanger and shut the gorgeous Vera Wang piece of perfection back into its resting place.

Knowing I had only a few minutes to finalize what I considered to be the hottest version of myself, I wiggled into my dress and immediately focused on the big question of shoes. _Why is every decision I make tonight so hard? This isn't brain surgery, Bella. Jake won't even notice you have shoes on…Edward won't even notice you have a head. _I debated whether or not to play it safe and stick with the conservative black heels or throw caution to the wind and wear the red patent leather stilettos that Rose all but forced me to buy on our last trip to Saks.

"Fuck it!" I huffed, grabbing the red stilettos. Conservative, no nonsense Bella was getting the night off, and I felt sexy as hell as I grabbed my purse and phone and headed toward the door.

Jake had driven out to Chicago in his 1986 Rabbit when we first moved to the city. We had been sharing the car ever since, using it mostly to haul or transport anything too awkward for a trip on the train. I had never found much need for a new car considering Eclipse was so close to a station, but at that moment, standing in my killer dress, a hot set of wheels would have been nice. Luckily, Jake was good to the Rabbit, keeping it clean, so when I crawled in, I didn't feel like I was damaging my painstaking work of the last few hours. Before starting up the engine, I couldn't resist the urge to check Edward's Twitter feed one last time. I excitedly scrolled past the posts I had read yesterday to find the newest one.

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): Heading to another party. Not anticipating any hot chicks to be there. #mynightblows

_Edward and I are both heading to the same party. Is this really happening? I wonder if he is already there? I wonder what he is wearing? I wonder if I will talk to him? I wonder if… _I forcibly shook my head to clear the what-ifs. "Bella, you are acting like an idiot. Just drive the car!" I scolded the shadowed reflection on the windshield.

Volturi was one of Chicago's coolest clubs, and Eclipse routinely used its lush atmosphere for social functions and posh parties. The drive had taken me less than twenty minutes, and by the time I pulled in to park, I was feeling surprisingly calm and collected. I took a moment to check my hair and makeup in the mirror, and just when I was about to grab my purse from the passenger seat, there was a knock on the driver side window. Startled, I looked over to see Jake's face smiling down at me as he opened the door to usher me out of the car.

"Looking fantastic, Bells!" Jake grinned and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

My earlier frustrations began to slip away as I realized we would actually be spending an evening together. "You're looking pretty good, yourself. How do you manage to look so put together when you practically live in an office building?"

"It's easier for dudes. A little water and deodorant goes a long way."

We walked towards the door, which was crowded with a line of hundreds of people I didn't recognize.

"Who are all these people? These marketing parties don't normally draw this kind of crowd," I questioned, seriously astounded by the sheer size of the swarm in front of me.

"Well, apparently your Masen guy put something on Twitter about being in the area, and some super fans put two and two together and hunted him down. I heard Newton bitching inside about the company having to order in extra security. He seemed a bit pissed."

"Oh..."I said, suddenly feeling guilty. _Was I like those crazy, screaming women who were lining the sidewalk? Would I have come out here if I knew he was going to be here? _I didn't think I wanted to answer those questions.

"I did want to tell you, Bells, and I don't want this to sound weird." Jake turned to face me, suddenly serious. "I have been joking about this "free pass" thing for a long time…"

"Don't worry about it, Jake," I cut him off, stunned that he had been worrying about such an insane idea. "I would never…"

"Bella, I totally think you should go for it. I know I would if I was in your shoes. It's actually sorta hot," he finished. His tone was completely serious, and he looked at me straight in the eye.

Speechless for about the fifth time that day, I simply answered, "Let's just have fun tonight," while nervously smiling and shrugging my shoulders. I tugged his arm and led him through the doors of Volturi, eager to enjoy the evening.

My eyes scanned the room frantically, searching out the source of my nerves. All too quickly, my gaze locked with a pair of hazel eyes, the same eyes that I had hopelessly flirted with just yesterday in my bathroom mirror. Instinctively and subconsciously, my arm slowly slipped away from Jacob's hold. My body slowly shifted forward, as though an invisible force tethered my soul to those gorgeous hazel pools and pulled me closer. Deep inside, I realized I was standing on a precipice. If I took the leap, it was entirely possible that I might make a decision that would irrefutably change my life forever. If I stay planted firmly on the ground, my life would continue on the path that had been relatively comfortable for the past four years.

Seconds ticked by.

I stood there. Staring.

Time appeared frozen.

I stood there. Staring.

A decision had to be made.

I hesitantly stepped off the cliff toward the eyes of Edward Masen.

**A/N: So, I would love for you to review and tell me what you think Bella's next move should be. Also, how many of you think she is going to cash in on that free pass? Would you?**

**Also, what is up with Jake? God, that guy is a douche…well, at least I have always thought so. **

**I think it's time that Bella got up close and personal with Mr. Edward Masen, but I have a feeling it won't go as smoothly as any of her bathroom mirror fantasies.**


	4. Chapter 3: Realization

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and I'm totally bumming about this Robsten ordeal. Is it messing with anyone else's Twibrain? UGH!**

**I need to thank Momma Laura for the awesome proofread.**

**Thanks to PTB and ElleCC & darcysmom for betaing the chapter.**

**Enjoy! And PLEASE review. **

CHAPTER 3-REALIZATION

My body moved as though of its own volition, shifting ever so slightly away from the man standing beside me. I could still faintly feel the soft touch of Jake's fingers balancing the weight of my left arm as I studied the flawless vision sitting only fifty feet away. My mind had begun a dangerous journey into a dreamlike vortex of fantasy and fascination, and I felt as though I was being swept away from reality by the presence of Edward Masen.

_I should just sprint over there! He's practically alone. I could get my photo really fast and upload it to Facebook before Rose tells me how uncool that is. I wonder how fast I can run in these shoes? What if I fall down? Would he care? Would he come over and help me up? Oh! That sounds kinda nice...very "knight in shining armor." God, he would look good in armor. Would he touch me when he saved me? Maybe I should pretend to fall over? Pretend to faint? No, that would be too much. I'll just walk over and say hi…_

With my mind set, I straightened my back and tried to look confident, determined quickly to bridge the gap between me and the breathtaking creature sitting all too far from me across the room. I took one last, deep breath, encouraging my now racing heart to keep beating.

_This is it, Bella! Go! Just move._

I felt the ball of my foot leave the ground as my weight shifted forward ever so slightly.

Suddenly, and quite out of nowhere, the silky smooth voice belonging to Lauren, Mr. Newton's assistant, broke through my disoriented resolve. "Oh. My. God. Just look at the two of you! Oh, Bella! I haven't seen you in ages. Oh, and look, you're wearing the black Calvin Klein again. You're such a practical girl. At least that's what Jake always says." She paused, eyeing the two of us closely. "I guess I'm always just too busy at work to find time to chat with you ladies..._down in HR._" She emphasized the last three words in a way that made me want to take a lesson from Rose and stick the heel of my stiletto in her cold, blue eye.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything that would make me feel stronger and not bullied by the pretentious slut, but sadly, I was yet again interrupted.

"I've been meaning to thank you for allowing me to share this guy," Lauren purred while rubbing Jake's muscular arm. "I mean, we work together so much, I practically feel engaged to him, myself." She laughed a little too loudly, looking me straight in the eye. I felt challenged, like she expected me to fire back an equally bitchy remark.

Before I had the opportunity to even consider taking her up on the unspoken offer, Jake cheerfully chimed in, "Lauren, Lauren, Lauren...don't you see enough of this face at Eclipse?" He pointed to his goofy grin. "I figured you would run the other way at the first sight of me tonight, seeing we can't seem to get away from each other at the office." His voice had a slight edge to it, and I couldn't tell if he was mad at her for interrupting our so-called date, or if something had happened at work he had failed to share with me.

Unfazed by Jake's unusually cool reception, Lauren returned her focus to me. "So, Bella, how did you get your name on the staff invite list for tonight? I was in charge of notifying members of the company who'd been invited, and I don't remember your name being included." Her words practically caused ice crystals to freeze the air between us.

_Is she accusing me of crashing this event? Is she actually attempting to make me feel unworthy of being here? _I thought back to the morning Jake had broken the news about the party, and I distantly remembered getting a company email later that afternoon specifically inviting me. _Who was that email from? Think…break through the Masen haze from that day...and think._

The memory hit me, and a big smile crept across my face. "Mr. Newton personally invited me. I received an email from him Thursday afternoon," I answered, clearly annoying her with the attention Mike paid me.

"Oh...really? Well, he must have had his reasons to want you here, although I can't possibly imagine what those might be." She instantly changed the subject and shifted her attention back to Jake. It was clear that in her mind, she had finished with me and had moved on to more important things. "Anyway, I think there are some people you should be talking to right now, Mr. Black. That Masen guy has attracted quite the prestigious group of press to our little party tonight. Come on, Jake. I have some people I want to introduce you to."

Jake gave me an apologetic glance as Lauren tugged him toward what I knew was his real reason for coming to this party. He wanted to schmooze and rub elbows. Since starting at Eclipse, Jake had his sights set on a finding a more esteemed position at a bigger and better publication. _So much for "date night."_

As I was still standing, quite pathetically, only four feet inside the door, I took a moment to truly appreciate the beauty of my magnificent surroundings. Volturi was Chicago's most lavish and exclusive club. Owned by the president of Twilight Studios, Aro Moretti, the 3,000-square-foot space was a juxtaposition of old European design and sleek modern style. Intimate alcoves lined the perimeter walls of the immense space. These secluded areas were decorated to perfection, with red velvet, Victorian ebonized grandfather's chairs and light gold Italian crystal chandeliers. Modern-lined, leather sofas provided the perfect contrast to the dark, regal elegance of the room. In addition to the beautiful furnishings, perhaps the most stunning characteristic of Volturi was its walls covered with luxurious, textured wall treatments painted with Swarovaski crystals designed by Aro, himself.

I once read in a magazine that Aro's wife, Sulpicia, had grown up in Volterra Tuscany. To show his wife the magnitude of his love, Aro had built Volturi as a gift and reminder of the home she had left behind to stay by his side and support his dreams of Hollywood.

My eyes scanned the room, taking in every minute detail of my lush surroundings. _I can't believe I am standing inside the front doors of Volturi! God, look at those chairs. They look so soft. I wonder what it would feel like to sit on one? Am I allowed to sit on one? No one seems to be sitting. _I fidgeted, my eyes continuing to explore the scenes that played out before me. Jake was talking animatedly to a group of important-looking men and women, kissing their cheeks and shaking their hands. Lauren was standing to his side, laughing at every word he said. _She is really pissing me off tonight. Why does she keep touching his arm like that?_ Finally, as if by an invisible force, my eyes snapped back to the living, breathing, and very tangible form of Edward Masen.

_Holy shit! He's here. Of course, he's here. I've been thinking about this for the last thirty-six miserable hours of my life. Just look at him. Is it humanly possible to be that beautiful? Is it possible to orgasm just from looking at someone? _Edward was lounging in the far back corner of the room. He appeared to be surrounded by a few people who I assumed were part of his "team," or whatever word Hollywood used to describe _those _people. From a distance, he appeared cool and casual, dressed to perfection in a white button-down shirt (left unbuttoned a quarter of the way down his chest) and a flawless navy suit, accessorized with a brown leather belt and Gucci brown leather oxfords. He looked the literal definition of a movie star. His roaming gaze focused in my direction, and for a moment, I felt as though he was studying me. Suddenly self-conscious, I mentally cautioned myself to simply glaze over Edward, not wanting him to catch me staring. My head turned slightly to look behind me, and that is when I remembered I was standing near the front door, making it undeniable that he was anticipating someone's arrival.

_Who is he waiting for? Is Tanya supposed to be at this thing, too? Surely Jake would have mentioned that, wouldn't he? What if she shows up? That would ruin everything. There is _no_ way I could walk up to Edward with her standing perfectly at his side._

I knew I was being a complete coward, but I decided I needed a drink before I could walk over there and face him. The bar was no less beautiful or elaborate than the rest of Volturi. Made of clear glass, etched with the same sweeping Swarovski crystal designs of the walls, the massive, modern structure served as the jaw-dropping centerpiece to the room. The largest gold chandelier I had ever seen hung overhead, creating just enough light to reflect and shimmer against the glass, causing the illusion that the bar actually glowed. _This place is absolutely incredible._ I had never attempted to come to Volturi before tonight, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt, that even my big toe would have been rejected entrance.

I ordered a glass of Riesling from a cute bartender named Felix, according to his nametag. He had dark hair and eyes, a friendly smile, and looked very Italian. As I stood there, drink in hand, my mind began to scroll through the wacky events of the last couple days. Jake had failed to come home four times in the last week, while I spent two days acting like a hormonally challenged fangirl, not eating or sleeping in the process. Mike Newton had asked me out yet again...and then there was Lauren. Jake was acting so strange around her all of a sudden, and her words earlier had troubled me more than I wanted to admit. And lastly…I was about to work up the guts to walk over and introduce myself to Edward.

The idea of Edward sparked another strange tidbit from the last two days: the _free pass_. As Felix's drink started to chip away at my closed-off opinion of that agreement, I reminded myself that Jake had told me to go for it, to grab the opportunity and literally not look back. Edward was so close, in living form, and I began to wonder if I would regret not stepping out of character and pursuing something that Rose wouldn't think twice about. Here I was, as if by some twist of fate, in the same room as the man I had spent years of my life worshipping. My thoughts began to become more serious, more authentically curious, as my focus continued to bear straight at the man across the room.

_Would you actually play along, Edward? I'm not stunningly beautiful like that bitch-whore Tanya, but surely I'm cute enough. Where would you take me? Would you wanna go back to your hotel? Do you have an apartment in the city? What about pressed up against the bathroom stall? In your limo, maybe?_

In that moment, I realized I didn't care how he would answer any of my questions, as long as he was willing. My mind began to swim as I imagined ripping open the remainder of his shirt and licking up and down the planes of his chiseled chest. His nipples would respond to my touch, indicating he did indeed want me as much as I wanted him, while his hands reached around, grabbing my ass through the silky layer of black fabric. I would feel his erection press firmly against my stomach, and he'd tighten his grip, closing the last bit of distance between us. He would then moan deep in his throat before locking his hazel eyes with mine. Our breathing would quicken, synchronizing in its intensity, as our hands begin frantic explorations of each other's bodies. Suddenly, Edward would pause, as if speechless from the passionate hunger of the moment and say, "Just tell me what to do. _I. am. yours."_

"Um, miss. Is there something else I can get you?" Felix's voice broke through my euphoric daydream. Feeling my cheeks flush crimson, as though my torrid thoughts were spoken aloud, I bashfully smiled and shook my head. "So, uh, it's pretty cool Aro managed to get Edward Masen here tonight, huh?" Felix continued, attempting to make small talk.

Before I had time to consider answering Felix's question, we were interrupted by Rose's boisterous voice as she wiggled between the two of us, placing her cleavage directly in the young bartender's line of sight. Throwing herself on the bar, she pointed her perfectly manicured finger at his nametag and demanded, "Amaretto sweet with two cherries, Feeeeelix," purring out his name. Felix's face turned five shades of red, and he quickly moved to fulfill Rose's order as she turned her attention to me. "You look hot tonight, B! You totally wore the dress and the killer stilettos from Saks. I gotta admit, I hadn't even considered those shoes," she praised, leaning over in her skintight hot pink dress to kiss my cheek. "So, where is Mr. Pack-Leader-of-the-Douchebags? Too busy following around Newton like some sort of puppy to spend the evening with your gorgeous ass?"

I sighed, setting my drink on the bar while turning to completely face my friend. "Of course, he is!" I answered, slightly more intensely than originally intended. "I was with him a total of ten, count them, ten whole minutes before he decided that Lauren, the bitch-skank, was more important!" I practically yelled, silencing Rose. She studied my face for a moment, eyebrows creased in concentration. "And you know what else…?" I continued, my voice rising further. "Everything about this day is making me nuts. I am still standing in the same room as Edward Masen, not a single foot closer to the man, I might add, and Jake, right before we walked in here tonight, brought up the whole free pass thing, making me feel even crazier, if that's possible. I have half a mind to take him up on the offer, just to piss him off! But you know what? I don't think he would really care!" I finished, taking a monumental breath and laughing hysterically.

Rose continued to look at me, head tilted slight to the side. Suddenly, a smile broke across her face, leaving me puzzled as to what she was thinking. "You know, B, maybe we should talk about this somewhere more private. You know…where other people won't hear you," she whispered, while gently grabbing my arm to lead me away from the bar. "One of the VIP rooms isn't being used tonight. We can sneak in there and you can continue this titillating rant about He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, while I sit my ass down, take off these damn shoes, and hang on your every word." She gently tugged my arm a couple of times, encouraging me to follow her, as she led me around the bar and back through the club toward a door I hadn't noticed during my original inspection.

Similar in design to the intimate lounge alcoves of the main room, the VIP suite housed the same gorgeous furnishings and elegant European style. The very private room consisted of two red velvet sofas and four very modern black leather chairs, all of which surrounded a fantastic square glass coffee table, the interior of which was illuminated by glowing gold lights. A private bar ran the entire length of the wall from just inside the door to the far corner of the room. As I entered, I couldn't help but slowly run the tips of my fingers down the cold, smooth surface of the glass countertop before flopping down on one of the inviting leather chairs.

"Hey, B, I'm gonna go grab us a couple drinks," Rose called from the door. "I should have remembered before walking over here that Newton's tight ass was too cheap to pay for someone to staff this room tonight."

"Yeah, sure, Rose," I mumbled, still quite stunned by my own very public and over-the-top rant. "I'll take a Malibu and Coke if you don't mind."

"Well, well, well. Is my girl gonna turn into a drinker after all?" Rose teased, all smiles, before eyeing me for a few moments, winking, and then disappearing from the room. Something about the way she'd continued to study me left me slightly paranoid, but I brushed away the feeling, blaming the effects of alcohol and emotional overflow.

Sitting alone in the beautiful space, I couldn't help but laugh at the way the events of the evening had managed to turn out drastically different than how I had pictured for the last two days. I'd been at the party for over an hour, fifty minutes of which I'd spent _alone_. Not only had my date, who should have been a sure thing considering he was my fiancé, abandoned me, but I _still_ hadn't gotten my photo with Edward, which in truth, was my fault.

I stood up, not entirely sure what I planned to do with myself. _I've got to change this ridiculous pattern of behavior. I've been cycling through the same emotions over and over for days! Excitement. Confusion. Nervousness. Anger. Cowardice. Bella, you are acting like a fucking idiot. Not only do I need to tell Jake exactly how I feel, but I need to take steps to change the course of our relationship. And I really need to go meet Edward...most of all, I want to meet Edward._

Throwing my purse on the empty bar, I was desperate to find my phone. I wanted Jake to know that as soon as Rose came back with our drinks, I was going to go get my photo with Edward, pick myself back up off the floor, and then head home...sadly, alone. Jake needed to be spending the evening at my side, not Lauren's, and I was determined to make my feelings known. Tempted to spill all of my bag's contents on the clear glass, I dug through it, fighting the dimness of the room, until I finally located my phone. Determined to give Jake a piece of my mind, I flipped open my cell and discovered the notification of a new message. I quickly pressed the icon and was surprised to find that Jake had sent me a text.

June 8, 2012 9:54 PM

_Shit, Bells. I had to leave the party. Headed to_

_the office. You'll be ok, right?_

I stared at my phone, dumbfounded, utterly shocked that he had actually left me. Jake had all but begged me to come with him, promising a night out together to make up for all the times his busy work schedule had taken him away. Anger was coursing through my veins and straight into my fingertips as I replied.

**Please tell me you're kidding?!**

_No, Bells, I'm not…Mike sent me to pick up some paperwork._

_You knew this was a job function. Just head home if you aren't having any fun._

**I can't believe you honestly left me here.**

**I'm speechless, Jake!**

**Why'd you even want me to come to this thing?**

**You ditched me the second we walked through the door!**

My hands had started to shake as I pressed "send" and waited for his reply. Tears were beginning to involuntarily prickle around the edges of my eyes, and I could feel the familiar lump forming in the back of my throat. Holding back a sob, I closed my eyes and tilted my face toward the ceiling, feeling the anger and sadness overwhelm me.

_Jesus, Bella. I thought you'd want to go_

_considering that Edward guy was going to be there._

**Why do you care so much about Edward?**

**Yes, I want to meet him, but Jake, I came tonight to be with you.**

_I don't care about him! I just thought it would be cool_

_to see you go for that free pass. I don't get what's_

_wrong with you. Have you been hanging out with Rose or something?_

**Yes, I'm hanging with Rose.**

**At least she appears interested in spending time with me.**

**About that free pass…I think I'm going to go cash that in.**

**Don't. Wait. Up.**

I slammed my phone back onto the glass bar, cracking its red protective case in the process. Jake would probably call my bluff, knowing in his heart that I would never consider sleeping with anyone other than him, even if the other man was Edward Masen. I didn't care, because in that moment, it felt so good to make my feelings known. Jake had been putting everyone and everything before me for far too long, and something about the last two days of my life had caused a sort of mental shift to happen. I picked my phone back up and slid my finger across the screen to shut it down before tossing it back into my purse, not wanting any more interruptions or worries clouding my judgment for the remainder of the evening.

I slowly started to smile as I realized the gift Jake had given me. My night could still be saved, and in many ways he had freed me, granting me permission to let my hair down and step outside the comfortable armor I had hidden behind for far too long. I felt giddy and slightly dizzy from the sudden shift in emotion as I walked over to lie on one of the oversized sofas. Flipping off my shoes, I lay down and propped my feet up on one of the armrests, the back of the couch concealing my view of the door. _Where the hell did Rose go? Getting a couple of drinks shouldn't take this long. _I began to wonder whether I should go search her out, but realized that was unnecessary as my thoughts were greeted by the sound of the door clicking open.

"Rose," I greeted, "you will _so _not believe the shit Jake just tried to pull. Screw the drinks, let's go grab some Edward Masen asssssss…" I giggled toward the ceiling, as the door quietly clicked closed.

"No, man, nothing but a typical industry party..." a male voice penetrated the room, immediately sucking the oxygen from my lungs as I immediately identified its owner. I would have recognized his voice anywhere; the smooth and velvety undertones were the signature sound of Edward Masen. The undiluted resonance was enough to stop my heart.

I sat up too quickly, attempting to launch myself from the couch and spin around to face the source of the beautiful sound. Precariously searching for my shoes, I tried to slip on the right one while my body froze, twisting awkwardly halfway between lying down and standing to face the door. My brain had become void of a rational thought as I stood, paralyzed, face to face with Edward Masen.

He was talking on his phone, looking at me with an expression I couldn't quite define. He, too, appeared almost frozen, surprised, or maybe disappointed, to have discovered some random, crazed woman occupying the room. His eyes slowly traced the lines of my body, taking in what I assumed was my bizarrely contorted form and complete inability to move, before settling on my eyes.

"Hey, Em, I'll call you back," he said, chuckling into the phone, staring me down with an almost animalistic intensity. "I'm gonna make some chick see God." I stared at him, listening and watching, as if a movie in slow motion were playing out before my eyes. _What is he talking about? Is he meeting someone here? Why is he looking at me like that? He's probably completely pissed at the fact that I'm just standing here like some awestruck moron, staring at him as if he were an exhibit at the zoo. _He lowered his arm and turned to face away from me, placing his phone on top of the bar not far from the spilled contents of my purse. He paused, seeming to contemplate his next move. He slowly exhaled a deep breath and ran his hand through his amber-colored hair. Without further hesitation, he turned his attention back in my direction.

Having finally regained the physical ability of movement, I pried my eyes away from his overwhelming stare and reached down to grab my other shoe. I didn't know which one of us would speak first, and it appeared he was enjoying the silence, watching me squirm as his eyes never wavered from my movements. I felt displaced and altogether self-conscious as I tripped over my feet trying to secure my shoe and tumbled onto the beautiful table in the center of the room.

Still, he said nothing. He stood there and studied me, watching as I clumsily climbed back onto my feet. Every now and then, I would detect the slightest twitch at the corner of his mouth, hoping more than anything he would say something to help ease the tension. I had begun to question whether or not I had indeed gone insane and this man wasn't the real thing after all, but one of those life-sized cardboard cut-outs you see at the movies.

Anxious to penetrate the dense air between us, I spoke, barely able to project my voice above a whisper. "I know you, ah, probably hear this all the time," I stammered, "but I am, um, seriously a huge fan." My heart was pounding against my chest as I continued. "I mean, you really are the hottest actor in Hollywood right now, and I totally plan on going to see _Clair de Lune _next weekend." _Did I really just say that? Shit! I have to be the lamest human being on the planet. Should I ask him for a photo? Who will take it? Where the hell is Rose when I need her?_

A devilish smile slowly began to make its way across the sharp planes of his face, and he took a small step toward me. He placed both hands on his hips, involuntarily widening the opening of his shirt and exposing even more of the tempting flesh underneath.

"I know you're a fan, Bella," he teased, accentuating my name. "That's why I came in here tonight."

The sound of voice, along with the mention of my name, left me both astonished and stupefied. I stood there staring at this total stranger, a man who felt familiar in so many ways, yet whom I couldn't even begin to claim to know. He took another step toward me, beginning to bridge the few remaining feet between us. He was so close I knew I would be able to smell him if I only allowed myself to breathe. His lips opened ever so slightly as he continued. "Your friend, Rose, out there…"

"Wait…What?" I interrupted at the mention of Rose's name. Abruptly, almost painfully, the pieces of the puzzle snapped together.

He was pointing toward the door, looking at me with the same steady gaze as he repeated, "Your friend…Rose…She mentioned something about a 'free pass.' Said you were hot and that I should come in here and let you suck my dick." He smiled down at me, while taking another couple steps in my direction, filling the space between us.

Words could not begin to describe the emotions coursing through me as I stood inches from his body. _What the hell is wrong with you, Rose? Is this some kind of sick joke? And what the hell is wrong with him? Where is the romantic hero from the movies? Where is the man who walked the red carpets and waved to the cameras?_

"Listen," he said. "I'm game if you are, but we're gonna have to be quick about this. Aro is pretty much expecting me out there, shaking hands with directors and script writers and shit." He reached down and pulled at the tails of his white button-down shirt, freeing it from the waistline of his trousers. For the briefest of moments, my eyes settled on the bare skin of his stomach, and I couldn't help but notice the sprinkling of hair right below his navel. _This is _not_ happening. This can't be happening. Not like this!_

As he took the final step to close the gap between us, my hands shot up and pushed him back, bouncing off the partially covered skin of his chest. He immediately backed up, a flash of confusion dancing across his face.

Never in my life had I expected to stand so close to Edward Masen, and I took the opportunity presented to look at him, really study him up close. He was shockingly beautiful; there was no doubt about that, but the once flawless face I had fallen in love with in _Afterglow_ was not the same as the one I was looking at now. His skin was not as smooth and silky. His eyes had a puffiness around their edges, as though he hadn't had a decent night's sleep in ages. His unbuttoned shirt, which had been so sexy from fifty feet across the club, was in fact wrinkled, as if he had picked it up off the floor only moments before arriving at the party. And his eyes, they were the most noticeable difference. Edward's eyes had always been, in my opinion, his most alluring feature. Perfectly hazel and intense in their feeling. I had stared at them for countless hours on screen. As I studied the eyes on the man standing before me, it was as though the life had been drained from them. They were, for all intents and purposes, dead.

I took another step back, repulsed by the whole situation. The room started to close in on me, and I needed out. Edward continued to stand there silently, watching me with frustration written all over his face. He sighed a deep and heavy breath before reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose with the fingers of his right hand.

"So, are we going to do this or not?" he asked with clear annoyance seeping into the edge of his voice. "You do know who I am, right? I've been informed that I, Edward mother-fucking Masen, am your fantasy fuck or whatever that friend of yours called it."

Looking at his perfect face, I quickly saw red. I wasn't sure if it was the wine, the outlandish events of the evening, or all the repressed feelings that I had been bottling up for the past few days, but in that moment I felt as though Edward had just opened Pandora's Box, and I knew, without a doubt, I didn't want him. The man standing before me was _not _the same expressive, passionate, charismatic being I had spent so many hours swooning over. This creature was a joke in every sense of the word. Although he possessed the same beautiful exterior, the man inside was tainting, destroying, and seeping through the layers of flesh to distort the person who had haunted my fantasies.

"I can't believe that I wanted to sleep with you!" I practically spat, eyeing him with a startling amount of hatred. "You are disgusting, you know that, right? You came in here tonight, expecting me to fall on top of you without a second thought, just because you have a famous name." I momentarily stopped, taking a second to steady my breathing. "You treat women like things, and it makes me sick. Have you ever, in all your life, had an emotional connection with anyone? Let me guess, you never let your true feelings show because then you can't get hurt? I bet you enjoy hurting others so that, God forbid, you don't have to _feel_ something yourself? Am I getting warm yet, Mr. Masen?"

Edward had unconsciously taken a step back during my last round of questions, and I got the distinct feeling I was making him very uncomfortable. It startled me to think that my words could actually bear weight on the shoulders of a man of his magnitude, but at that point, none of that mattered, I simply wanted to be heard.

"One of these days, you aren't going to have women fawning all over you," I continued. "You'll be yesterday's news, and someone younger and more talented is going to come along and steal _all_ of this from you." I slowly walked toward him, wanting to make sure he digested the meaning behind my words. "Where will that leave you, Edward? Huh? Alone, that's where. I'm not in your entourage, and I'm no longer some silly love struck fan, so instead of 'fucking' me tonight, Mr. Masen, you can go 'fuck' yourself."

I turned to leave the room, having no desire to spend another minute in his company. He stepped aside without saying anything, although I detected the briefest movement of his lips when I reached to grab my purse from off the top of the bar. My head was spinning, trying desperately to digest the shocking events of the past twenty minutes. When I reached for the handle of the door, I hesitated. A small part of me still wanted him to understand that I loved his work, that I wanted him to continue doing what he did best, and no matter how much he had disappointed me tonight, a fraction of my heart still loved the movie star part of him.

I turned back around to face him, needing to say something to settle the unease that had formed in the pit of my stomach. "Edward, I…" His eyes were looking directly into mine, cutting off my words like the sharp edge of a razor. My breath hitched in my throat as I discovered for the first time that night, the eyes staring back at me were not the same dead eyes I had noticed before. They had been replaced by those of complete and total sadness. We stood there studying each other for countless moments, and then, without the faintest hint of a warning, Edward blinked, returning to the same lifeless creature as before.

I sighed and grabbed the handle. Slowly opening the door, I slipped back out into the party, refusing to allow myself to look back at the dead eyes I could feel boring a hole through my back and directly into my soul.

**Any theories out there as to why those eyes look so haunted?**


	5. Chapter 4: Nightmares

**This has been a pretty awesome week for my little story that could! Lots of new readers and tons of great reviews. Please keep them coming. They give me the giggles. **

**Just in cause you didn't already know this…Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight…not me.**

**Thanks to Momma Laura for her proofreading skills, and ****Debsbranham**** for the creative inspiration.**

**I have been having issues with losing format during the Twitter/Text message sections. If you know how I can fix this…PM me stat! I'm starting to lose it.**

**Also, just got back my amazing banner back from forthelongestday. Please go check it out on my profile. :)**

CHAPTER 4-NIGHTMARES

_I was standing alone in the middle of a meadow, a meadow so vast and daunting, my eyes strained to discover the source of its entrance. Tall blades of grass and beautiful lilac colored blooms of flowers gently swayed and sighed, rolling all around me, mimicking the waves of the ocean._

"_How'd I get here?" I asked into the open space, turning and searching, while wondering what sort of mystical creature could've delivered me to this beautiful oasis. _

_I repeated my question a little louder, desperate for an answer, "Who brought me to this place?"_

_There was no reply._

_Reaching down, I gently tracked the smooth edges of the grass, allowing my fingertips to enjoy the cool tickle of their blades. Momentarily at peace, I smiled, letting the magnificent beauty of this unfamiliar land heal the scars beginning to tear at the edges of my heart._

_I walked around for what seemed like an eternity, taking in the extraordinary feelings, smells, and sights that nature had bestowed. Slowly, a feeling of dread began to crawl up my legs, tightening its grasp with each step, as I became conscious to the fact that I was no longer traveling alone._

"_Who's there?" I yelled into the clear blue sky, hoping the unwelcome intruder would make himself known. _

_Again, there was no reply._

_Panic quickly replaced the content my heart had housed only moments before, as my eyes darted uncontrollably, scouring the landscape for a way out, an escape from the monster who was hunting me._

_I began to run, tripping and falling over new obstacles with every step. Instantly turning dark, the sky began to bend and move, picking up the wind and blowing the brown locks of my hair in front of my face._

"_What do you want from me?" I cried out, tears coursing down the delicate planes of my face as I struggled against the whirling blades of grass. I fought on, pushing myself past the limited physical capabilities of my small body, desperate to free myself from the vast cell._

_My breathing became labored and I knew I couldn't hold the creature off any longer. He was stronger, faster, and it wouldn't be long before he caught me. _

_In one last attempt to understand his motives, I pleaded with the still unseen hunter, "Please, just tell me what you want!"_

_There was silence yet again, and realizing my legs had lost the strength to take me any further, I stopped and dropped helplessly to the ground._

_Before I had time to process the horrifying fact that I was utterly trapped, a smooth, intense voice whispered into my ear, "YOU!"_

_I screamed as I spun around, locking my sight on a pair of cold, dead eyes….. _

Gasping for air, I bolted upright, desperately searching for an escape from the nightmare, as consciousness slowly washed over my body. My left arm routinely reached out for Jake's warm form, my lifeline, only to find a cold, empty space next to me. Disappointment seeped into the layers of my frightened flesh as I pulled my knees to my chest, trying to settle my erratic breathing. _It was only a dream, Bella. I need to calm down. Why am I letting last night effect me this way? _

I had left the club the night before without speaking to anyone, including Rose. Too emotionally shattered by my experience of meeting Edward, I drove straight home and fell instantly into a restless, dream-filled sleep. I felt as though my mind wouldn't stop playing through the disturbing images of the way Edward had treated me, as though I was some kind of worthless thing he could use for his own entertainment. The way he had stared, walked, spoken, and even smiled had seemed slightly off, as though some dark essence had taken possession of his beautiful body, leaving him a mere puppet at their evil hands.

Bringing my elbows up to rest on my knees, I leaned my head forward to meet the palms of my hands, while trying in earnest to shake away the dirty feelings the encounter had left behind. Slowly, I turned my face to gaze down at the bare space beside me, the space that had once belonged to Jake.

"Why doesn't this surprise me?" I asked aloud, shaking my head at the ridiculous shift my once solid relationship had taken over the past few days. Sighing, I reached over to grab my phone, instantly switching it on to check for missed calls or messages. There was one…a text from Rose.

Jake hadn't even called.

I stared at my phone a few seconds longer, letting the weight of his actions bear down on my shoulders and settle into the pit of my stomach. In that moment, I knew I was no longer an important part of Jake's world. I'd become a second-thought, the woman he probably did love in a way, but also found convenient and secure.

Not wanting to dwell on the thoughts and questions I knew needed to be answered, I shifted gears and clicked on the icon to retrieve Rose's text.

June 9, 2012 4:12 AM

_B? What the hell happened?_

_That fine piece of Masen ass left the party_

_like 10 minutes after I sent his dick in after you._

_Please….I need details!_

Letting my eyes skim Rose's words a few times, I focused my attention on the news that Edward had left the party immediately after me. Confusion creased the edges of my eyes as I thought about the conversation Edward and I had shared. _Hadn't he said something about Aro wanting him back out there? Why hadn't he stayed? Could it have been something I said? _

I quickly typed out a response to Rose, knowing she would be passed out for the better part of the day, and I wouldn't have to deal with her response until my head had time to clear.

June, 9, 2012 9:14 AM

**I'm at home. Let's just say things didn't go well…. **

**He basically asked me to blow him and make it quick.**

**And YOU! Don't you think you should have**

**warned me you were sending him in after me?**

My mind returned to Rose's original text, leaving me again curious and fascinated by Edward's actions. I couldn't resist pressing the icon to open my Twitter app. Running my finger down the screen to locate his newest entry, I was desperate for any hint to his motivation for leaving so soon after our encounter. Sadly, I didn't manage to find any more tangible answers, but was faced with many more unexplainable questions.

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): A sudden bold and unexpected

question doth many times surprise a man and lay him open. –Francis Bacon

#Deepthoughts

_What the hell is he talking about? What 'question' is he referring to, and where had these sudden "deep thoughts" come from?_ I had been reading Edward's tweets every day for nearly five years, and not once had he taken time to write something remotely profound. Having always, until today, enjoyed the ridiculous Hollywood heartthrob subject matter, I'd used Edward's over-the-top 'partycentric' tweets to escape reality and dive further into the fantasy world I had built up around him.

Shaking my head, I quickly slammed my phone back down on the bed, wanting to separate my mind from the whirling mass of confusion that was currently clouding my ability to think straight. I stood and made my way to the bathroom, figuring a shower might help wash away some of the angst of the past few hours…or days.

Wrapped in the soft fabric on my favorite towel, I took a couple steps, making my way toward the door, but hesitated when I crossed my reflection in the bathroom mirror. Just forty-eight hours before, I'd longingly stared and fantasized in this exact same location, wanting more than anything to gently touch the living, breathing flesh of Edward Masen. So emotionally torn by all the recent events, I laughed aloud as a single tear escaped and traveled down the side of my face. I'd touched him, my hands, my flesh and bone, had lived the dream of feeling his physical form…to push it away.

In reality, Edward had done nothing wrong, and I knew that. He was one of the most famous and coveted actors in the world, and I was positive that every night, countless women threw themselves at him, dreaming for the chance he had offered me, and I'd turned down. He hadn't tried to hurt me, and looking back, if I allowed my mind to study his reaction to my rejection, I could faintly remember his surprise. Rose had told him I was "a sure thing," there was no doubt about it, so his expecting me to fall down on my knees and play worship to his sexual whims shouldn't have surprised me. But still, it did….

I realized then, as I looked into the sadness beginning to take possession of my eyes, sadness not so unlike the sadness I had found in Edward's, that I was mourning, mourning the loss of a man who in many ways never existed. The Edward of my dreams, the dashing romantic hero who gallantly fought for the woman he loved, did not exist. However silly or childish, the emotions were very real and I found it harder and harder to breathe the more my brain rationalized the events.

The soft clicking sound of the door of the loft opening and closing brought me out of my mental stupor. I stepped aside, peeking my head out of the bathroom, and found Jake walking across the hard wood floors of the loft. Soberly, he turned toward me and mumbled, "Hey….," before throwing his keys on the kitchen counter.

_Seriously?! That's all you're going to say? Where's my apology? My explanation? Where the hell have you been all night?_

Stepping the rest of the way out of the bathroom, I refused to say anything out of fear that my emotions would skew the important message I knew had to be delivered. I took a moment to take in Jake's appearance, noticing for the first time that he didn't look good. Dark circles painted the skin under his blood shot eyes, and his clothes, the same ones he had worn to the party, were disheveled and dirty.

Standing there in nothing but a towel, I waited, eyeing him, hoping he would volunteer an answer to explain the way he currently looked. I was angry and hurt by his actions of last night—of last week—and determined to clear the air, no matter the potential harm to our relationship it may cause.

Jake slumped over the counter, staring down at the granite tops. Without looking up in my direction, he whispered very quietly, "I got mugged last night…"

"You what!?" I exclaimed, surprised by the lack of compassion I found in my voice.

"Yeah…," he sighed. "I was heading back from grabbing that paperwork at Eclipse, and, ah, a couple guys jumped me," he continued, still not looking up to meet my puzzled expression. "They must have knocked me out somehow, cause I woke up a couple hours ago without my wallet or phone… I don't know what happened really." He shook his head like he didn't know what else to say.

I stared at him in disbelief, trying to figure out why any mugger would pick Jake as a potential victim. At well over six feet tall, his muscular build could be considered intimidating. It just didn't make sense.

"Aren't you going to ask if I'm hurt?" he shouted, causing me to blanch a little.

"Sorry, yeah. Are you hurt Jake?" There was no emotion whatsoever in my voice. He tensed up dramatically.

"God, Bells!" he yelled, turning to look at me while throwing up his hands in exasperation. "You're looking at me like you think I'm lying or something. Don't you feel at least a little bad?"

"Of course I feel bad, Jake," I answered in defense. "But, honestly, I just keep thinking that this didn't need to happen. It could've been avoided if you hadn't left the party to begin with."

The slightest bit of apprehension passed across his face as he stood completely, turning to tower over my petite 5'4" frame. Instinctively, I took a step backward and tightening my grip on the edge of the bath towel.

"Oh!" he chuckled. "So we're gonna make this all about you, are we?"

"US, Jake. I'm making this about US!" I hissed, releasing the pent-up emotions desperate for escape.

He stalked by me angrily, accidentally slamming his large body into my left shoulder as he passed before spinning back around in the middle of the living room.

"Jesus Christ! I just don't know what has crawled up your ass lately," he practically howled. "I feel like all you do is look for reasons to be mad at me. I work late, you whine. I ask you to go to a party, you bitch. I come home after being MUGGED, and you yell at me because, why, I left you to have a good time at the hottest party in town, to cash in on your free pass with some douche from some shitty movie that all you ladies seem to get your jollies off to."

Astounded, I stared at him for a few seconds, taking in the arrogance and selfish pride that was seeping from his pores and pooling at his feet on the floor.

"Like I told you outside on Friday, I wouldn't cheat, even with a celebrity you apparently want me to sleep with. This dumb free pass was always your idea, and you were always pushing me to do it. I didn't ask to be left at that party, Jake…and I didn't ask to meet Edward," I screamed. "You're the one who wanted me to go, and you all but promised me that we were going to spend the evening together last night. Instead, what did you do? You ran off with Lauren to rub elbows not ten minutes after we walked in the door!"

The mention of Lauren's name had caused him to flinch slightly, and in that heated moment, his work woes with the tight assed bitch were the last thing I gave a damn about.

"I just don't believe this, Bella. I. GOT. MUGGED. I could've gotten hurt, or worse, and you're standing here, screaming at me, like some selfish teenage girl." His voice had taken on the tone of a father chastising his daughter for coming home late, and it made my blood boil. "Don't you care at all about what happened to me?"

"Oh, I care Jake! I care that you haven't spent a single evening at home for almost a week. I care that we haven't had sex in over a month because you're always 'too tired.' I care that you ditched me at that party, however childish that may sound, and I do care, believe it or not, that you got mugged." My voice had risen beyond the normal physical tolerance of my vocal cords. "But do you want to know what I care about most of all, Jake? I CARE that our relationship is only hanging on by a thread!"

The next four days passed by uneventfully as Jake and I coolly ignored one another as we walked through the motions of life. I had ignored all of Rose's voicemails full of shock and apology, figuring I would give her a few days to sweat before I caved and forgave her. Jake had been sent out of town on Monday, flying to New York to meet with some potential advertisers for the magazine, so as I walked through the doors of Eclipse Wednesday morning, I didn't have to worry about making awkward small talk with the man I still called my fiancé.

Despite the broken state of my relationship with Jake, my mind had spent much more time obsessing over my strange and heated encounter with Edward. He was all I could think about, plaguing my days and nights with unanswered questions and the haunting images of his sad, dead eyes.

As I entered the small HR department of Eclipse, I threw my purse on to my desk, frustrated with my own inability to shake off those feelings, causing a dramatic _thump _to echo all the way through the high ceilings of the lobby. Jess's head immediately snapped up as she unpacked her laptop from its neon orange carrying case. "Ok, seriously...SPILL!" she insisted, leaning forward as if she were revealing some huge secret. "You've been acting all sorts of crazy since Monday. Is something up with you and Jake, or what?"

_I really don't want to discuss this right now. Especially not with Jess. She's the last person on the planet I want to spill my heart out to. It'd be all over the office in point-five seconds, and I just couldn't handle that._

"There's nothing to spill, Jess. It's just been a long week, you know, with Jake out-of-town and everything." I said lamely, hoping she wouldn't see right through my half-lie.

She shrugged her shoulders and reached down to straighten her floral-print H&M top before sinking into her chair. "Well, you know, Bella, I'm here if you need me. If that Jake is being an ass, don't be afraid to use me as your sounding board. I've been told many times that I'm a great listener."

"I'll do that, Jess. Thanks," I replied, loving her completely distorted perception of herself. Finally getting my things situated, I sat down believing her round of questioning was over.

"Oh! Bella," she blurted, suddenly. "I've been meaning to ask you about Friday. Word is that Edward Masen was at that Eclipse party over the weekend. Did you see him? I thought you had mentioned having to go with Jake," she sputtered.

Again, I didn't know how to answer her, but decided a vague, "Um, yeah, I saw him," was the safest bet.

"I can't believe how jealous of you I am right know!" she pouted. "According to Eric, in accounting, he was utterly flawless in person. Did you think so, Bella? Huh?"

She looked at me with such curious excitement that I couldn't help but laugh a little, and it felt good. Really good. "Yeah, Jess. The man is pretty gorgeous," I answered, while painfully remembering just how true that statement was.

"You're damn right he is!" she passionately continued. "Too bad the personality doesn't match the outside though."

Her assessment of Edward surprised me, and before I knew it I had asked, "Oh? What do you mean, Jess?"

Her eyes lit up, eager to spread a little company gossip, and she quickly replied, "Well, apparently Eric ran into him just as he was leaving the club. I guess he tried to get an autograph or picture or whatever, and Edward totally blew him off. Like, he looked really pissed about something and stormed out."

Rather than immediately responding to Jess's news, I took a moment to take in Eric's story, allowing my brain to dissect all the details. Not only had Rose told me the Edward had left shortly after I had, but now I'd learned that he left visibly upset. It seemed like no matter now hard I tried, the events of Friday night found a way back to the forefront of my mind.

Just as I was about to say something, possibly inquire further about what else Jess had heard, our office phones started ringing, forcing Jess to switch gears and answer, distracting her from any further mention of Edward.

For the remainder of the morning, I spent my time filing resumes, answering the phone, and getting caught up on company emails. Jess didn't bring up Friday again, and while part of me was thankful not to have to lie my way around the truth of that evening, a larger, really annoying part, wanted to know about Eric's run in with the utterly arrogant, infuriating, and absolutely God-like man. So many facts still didn't make sense. If he needed to leave so soon after our encounter, then why had he taken the time to join me in the VIP room in the first place? What had caused the sudden urgency to leave, and why was he so angry when Eric had seen him leaving?

Shortly before noon, Jess offered to run down the street and grab us a quick bite to eat from New Moon Café. I couldn't resist making the most of the much-needed privacy, and took the opportunity presented to Google Edward's name.

My pop culture junkie tendencies had evolved over the years, changing with my age and advances in technology. As a child and teenager, I had cut out pictures from magazines, displaying the faces of my innocent crushes all over the walls of my bedroom. Scrapbooks had been packed full of newspaper clippings and autographed photos I had received in the mail. As an adult, however tempting decorating the loft with posters and framed magazine covers could be, my image hoarding was all tucked away secretly and securely in a file on my computer. Inside a folder on my desktop, appropriately named "The Hottest Man Alive," I had saved all my favorite photos, screenshots of tweets (including the bizarre quote from Saturday morning), PDF files of interviews, and any other piece of him that caused my heart to flutter.

Typing Edward's name into the search bar brought up the usual list of official and fan-driven sites, so I clicked on the "images" tab, wanting to investigate the dead, fleetingly sad eyes that were making our meeting so hard to forget. Instantly, I was bombarded with the usual pictures of magazine covers and movie posters, all photoshopped to glorious perfection, but what I was really interested in studying were those real life candids snapped by the paparazzi on the street or even on the red carpet.

I almost immediately came across the same image of Edward and Tanya I had seen last week. They were standing together at the premiere of _Claire De Lune_; Edward wearing a gorgeous gray suit, and whatever Tanya had on, I didn't care. His stance was leisurely, with both hands placed in the pockets of his pants, while his eyes penetrated the lens of the camera with the same blank, dead stare he had placed upon me only a few nights ago. _Why hadn't I noticed this before? _ Tanya was literally draping herself all over his body, making it known to the world that she had come with him.

Clicking through picture after picture, I paid careful attention to Edward's body language and eyes as he appeared at various galas, parties, and other red carpet functions. No matter what beautiful woman stood next to him, his pose never changed: hands in pockets, dead look in his eyes, while his date did all the connecting, all the touching. It was incredibly odd and utterly surprising that I had never caught onto this before.

Quickly, I dropped a couple of the photos into my Edward file and closed Safari, knowing that Jess would be back any minute with our food. Just as I opened my email to check if I had any new messages, the sound of the front doors opening and closing alerted me to Jess's return.

"That was quick Jess—," I noted, pausing mid-sentence when I recognized the smiling form of Mike Newton walking straight in my direction.

"Bella!" he cheerfully greeted, while throwing his hands out as if he planned to give me a hug. I stayed seated to block any attempt he might make. "I missed you at the party on Friday and haven't had a chance to stop by and see if you'd enjoyed yourself." He winked at me as I uncomfortably fidgeted in my chair.

"Um, yeah." I hesitated, not exactly sure how to answer. "Volturi sure is an amazing place. I can't even begin to imagine the money Aro must've spent on the walls alone."

"Indeed, it's quite over-the-top, isn't it?" He nodded, before leaning in and resting a hand on the surface of my desk. "So, did you and Mr. Black manage to enjoy your night together? You'd mentioned looking forward to going with him." There was an edge of jealousy to his voice that I couldn't help but notice.

_Seriously? How could I have had a good time? He was running errands for you all night!_

Unable to resist, I responded coolly, "Well, I think we would've had a fantastic time if you hadn't sent him back here for some paperwork you probably didn't really need." The stupidity of my comment dawned on me the moment it left my mouth. This man was my boss, and I had no business bitching to him about what he asked his employees to do at a company sponsored event.

Mike's expression looked confused, as if he was trying to remember what I was talking about. "Gosh, Bella," he replied, while removing his hand to rub the back of his neck. "I don't remember asking Jake to leave. Maybe Lauren sent him back for something…who knows?" He smiled and added, "That's too bad, really. If you find yourself alone at a party again, come find me, I'll keep you company anytime Jake can't. Well, I better head upstairs. You have a good day, OK?"

He turned and walked back across the lobby before I had a chance to say anything more.

_Jake had lied to me. Why would he do that?_

Angrily, I snatched up my cell and immediately started texting the only person I knew would both forgive me for the silent treatment I'd been throwing her way and instantly jump at the chance to tear into Jake.

June 13, 2012 11:42 AM

**I know you're probably pissed at me,**

**but can we call it even?**

**I need to talk ASAP! :/**

_Fuck you, B! I've been worried sick!_

_I even thought about stopping into the_

_office to make sure you were alive!_

_You know I don't go in there unless_

_I have to!_

**I'm sorry! Please, Rose!?**

**Friday was all shades of crazy, and now I**

**think Jake is lying to me about something.**

_Lying? About what?_

**Can't text the details now. **

**Jess is back and I have to get some work done,**

**but can we meet for a movie tonight?**

**I will tell you EVERYTHING!**

_Fine. This better be good! _

_I'm still fucking pissed at you, _

_just so you know._

**Thank you! Let's meet at the **

**theater near Eclipse 7, k?**

_K. What are we seeing?_

**Clair De Lune ;)**

_Ugh! You're so predictable!_

_See you later, B._

**TTYL! Love ya, Rose!**

Satisfied, I placed my phone back down on my desk, staring at nothing in particular on my computer screen. It seemed as though I couldn't escape adding additional layers to the already piled up mess of confusion housed in my brain.

_Fuck! I'm just so confused!_

Reassuring myself that Rose would help me sort through the mess with Jake and rationalize my encounter with Edward, I glanced at the clock in the upper corner of the screen, praying the remainder of the day would pass by quickly.

I arrived at the box office of Red Apple Cinemas shortly after six, eager to spend some time away from both my loft and Eclipse. A wave of excitement passed through my fingertips, as the teenage boy behind the window handed me my ticket. There was just something about movies that was magical, the way they allowed me to dive through the screen and live those moments of time with the actors.

As I entered the theater, I was happy to discover the large room was completely empty, providing me the opportunity to pick the perfect seat. I loved sitting in the dead center of the room, about midway back, making the screen the perfect size and angle for ultimatum viewing. After plopping down on the soft, red velvet seat, I realized I had at least fifty minutes to burn before Rose would show up to join me.

I took a moment to take in the beauty of my surroundings. Red Apple was a small, vintage theater that had been restored about five years before. Reminding me of an eclectic mixture of a Parisian opera house and a quaint small-town drive-in, it was elaborately decorated with wooden seats, plush red curtains, a stage in front of the screen, and chandeliers handing from the ceiling. It really was the closet thing to vintage Hollywood I'd ever been lucky enough to stumble upon.

Unsure how to further pass the time, I pulled my phone from my purse, noticing I had a new text from Rose.

June 13, 2012 6:17 PM

_Stuck in a meeting. Gonna be late._

The noise of a young couple entering the theater brought my attention away from the phone, providing a distraction from the deafening silence of the room. I watched them walk hand-in-hand down the aisle, sighing as I tried to remember the last time Jake had accompanied me to a movie. I shook the feelings of anger and frustration aside, not wanting to allow myself to become so emotional, especially in the public setting of a theater. For some reason, the loving, movie going couple had also brought forward thoughts of Edward, and I was instantly tempted to check Twitter.

_Why have I let him affect me this way? I need to let this obsession go!_

His newest entry had quickly appeared on the screen.

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): Partying till I pass out

with my bros tonight! #liveitup

My voice scrunched up in an expression of disgust as I read his words a couple times. "Ugh! Seriously?!" I moaned. "Well, I guess those 'profound thoughts' of yours didn't stick, did they Mr. Masen? Looks like you've reverted back to your douchebaggery ways."

I giggled, feeling proud that I hadn't fangirlled all over the tweet just because it had come for the sacred mind of Edward.

Suddenly, and surprisingly, a smooth male voice spoke from directly behind my right shoulder, "You know, Bella. I've always preferred cocky-bastard to douchebag."

**So are you totally and completely mad at me for having ALMOST an entire chapter without Edward? I would be too. Anyway, how about this? The next chapter will have Edward in it A LOT! I am sorry to say this...but the story is going on temporary hiatus after this chapter. I will update again, but RL is getting in the way. **


	6. Chapter 5: Meetings

_**Usual thanks to the usual people. **_

**I wasn't going to post this chapter because I am taking a break from writing. I do have a few chapters written and will put them up, but things have to slow down due to RL. I hated things being left on that cliffhanger, so I thought I would put this up! **

**Enjoy it and I would still love to hear from you in the reviews.**

_Suddenly, and surprisingly, a smooth male voice spoke from directly behind my right shoulder, "You know, Bella. I've always preferred cocky-bastard to douchebag."_

CHAPTER 5

_Oh…my…God! Shit. Shit. Shit, Shit, Shit!_

My breathing was instantly erratic as the beating of my heart threatened to burst through the layers of my chest. I searched my mind for the reason that would've brought Edward Masen, movie star extraordinaire, here—sitting behind me at a very public movie theatre—and came up empty.

_Had I finally and epically lost my mind? Had the dreams and haunting images driven my logic to the point of no return?_

With the faintest mix of teasing and hesitation, he continued, "I wanted to, ah, apologize for my behavior the other night." He let the statement linger and float through the air between us. "It was clear I'd offended you in some way, so please know that wasn't my intention." I heard him settle into the seat directly behind me, propping his left foot up to rest on the back of the chair.

The intoxicating smell of pure masculinity invaded my senses as I closed my eyes, taking a huge, shaky breath before exhaling slowly. Trying to numb the vomit inducing nerves overrunning my body, I repeated the process three more times, then finally gave up and rolled my eyes to look up at the ceiling.

_Be cool, Bella! CHILL OUT!_

My eyes started to travel before the rest of my body agreed to join, as I inched around to eventually meet the gaze of the mystical being who'd been staring intently at the back of my head.

_Holy shit balls. _The man was insanely attractive in every way. He was just casually sitting there, as if he wasn't an angel, walking the earth.

"Uh…hi," I mumbled, before adding, "um…Edward?" I'd accented the end of his name as if it were a question. I continued to look directly at him, failing even to blink, like some mentally unstable, awestruck freak.

Dressed inconspicuously in a vintage-looking baseball cap, heather gray v-neck t-shirt, dark denim jeans, and black Chucks, I could tell he was trying to blend in and not get noticed. It was silly, really, his attempts at looking "normal," and I desperately wanted to laugh and tell him that no matter how hard he tried, his actions would be in vain. Edward was the dazzling epitome of a Hollywood movie star, and no amount of dressing-down was going to change that.

I reached up, unconsciously tucking a stray lock of brown hair behind my ear, just as he chose to flash me the most startlingly beautiful smile. Unable to resist, I actually took a minute to gaze at his teeth, finding that they too were just as amazing as the rest of him_._ My over-analytical assessment of his flaws on Friday night had been a joke, a means of convincing myself that I didn't want him. Edward was unnaturally handsome, and while his eyes still felt sad, there was nothing I would change.

Flustered by his presence, my hands began to flail about as if in slow-motion, sending my phone flying through the air and landing loudly near his feet. Having lost the ability to function like a normal human being, I ignored it and prayed my lack of acknowledgement would mean the clumsy display never actually happened.

Still mentally numbed, I slowly reached out my left hand and pressed my finger against his knee, poking with just enough pressure to shift his leg from side to side. Mesmerized that I was touching him, I watched for a few seconds as the limb magically undulated before I said, "What the hell are you doing here," in my most monotone and confused voice.

My eyes slowly traveled back up his body, and it wasn't until I passed by the smirk that played across his lips that I realized just what I was doing.

"Shit!" I screamed, snatching my hand back so quickly that I slammed my elbow into the side of the wooden seat. "Ouch! Dammit! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to touch you," I stammered, feeling my face flush bright crimson. "I mean, I did. No, I didn't, it's just…why the hell are you here?" I repeated my original question, sounding a pinch more hostile than I intended.

"I'm here to see a movie, Bella," he replied evenly, wiggling slightly to get more comfortable in his seat. Although his words had sounded almost teasing, he no longer smiled, keeping his expression emotionless as he looked in my direction. His eyes didn't have the exact same dead quality I'd remembered from Friday, but they still retained an essence of sadness and an invisible barrier that piqued my curiosity.

The memory of Friday brought my mind back to the anger and disappointment I'd been carrying around with me since that night, and it dawned on me that I was once again face to face with the source of those unpleasant feelings.

Without thinking, I blurted, "This is your movie, Edward! Are you _really_ that self-obsessed that you seriously can't find another movie you'd want to see?"

He flinched slightly at the harshness of my words before answering, "I'm sorry my actions constantly seem to upset you so much, Bella, but would you mind being a little more discreet in your volume and tone?" He eyes scanned the theater, clearly hoping that no one had heard my outburst.

I didn't know why I was so mad at him; I'd already sorted through these feelings numerous times in my head. He'd disappointed me on so many levels at our first meeting, and my heart wasn't ready to let those feelings go.

Rolling my eyes at his avoidance of my question, I turned back around to face the screen, angling my body so that I could still faintly make out his movements from the corner of my eye. We were both quiet for a while, letting the tension build to an excruciating level. My heart was pounding with such intensity that I couldn't tell if its beats were driven from anger or excitement, or maybe…infatuation.

"Look…" he said softly, leaning forward to place his lips only inches from my ear. "I really didn't intend to upset you again." The nearness of his body ignited a slow burn deep in my belly, and I felt my chest tighten as my senses began to run wild.

I wanted nothing more than to lean over and gently press my full lips against Edward's very tempting mouth, slowing allowing myself to taste and explore the soft tender flesh. I knew it was wrong and that my thoughts were in many ways a betrayal to the promise I'd made Jake, but he was just so beautiful and real. My mind couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like to brush my tongue between the slit of his lips, inviting him to open to my passionate exploration.

His shallow breathing began to leave a faint circle of moisture on the sensitive skin of my neck, sending chills running down to my most intimate bits of flesh. I struggled to inhale, frozen by the sensuality clouding the air between us. Edward swayed ever so slightly, further lessening the distance separating his lips from my earlobe. I closed my eyes and permitted the tiniest smile to pull at the corners of my mouth, as Edward exhaled deeply, blasting my senses with the sweet smells of his essence.

Just as quickly as Edward's lips had arrived, he painfully pulled them away, returning to his original position lounging directly behind me. I turned, devastated by his sudden departure, and again met his stare. On film, Edward was the master; speaking volumes without having to say anything at all. The intricate expressions of his face were so well-crafted, that he could keep audiences spellbound for long minutes without uttering a single line of dialogue. Sitting before me, I couldn't help but notice the startling difference between the actor and the man, as I struggled to read his mood, his emotions, and his thoughts.

Quietly, he whispered, "You really do hate me, don't you?" His tone was undeniably amused and unexpectedly confused.

_What's he talking about? I nearly just orgasmed, in public from his breathing on my neck, and he thinks I hate him?_

He paused, shaking his head, before reaching up to remove his hat and run his fingers thought the delicate strands of his hair, leaving the amber locks just as beautiful as if he were walking down the red carpet.

_Why doesn't he have horrible hat head? Does he possess some magical powers of anti-gravity hair sexiness?_

He'd just said he thought I hated him, and I couldn't fathom where his assessment was coming from. Yes, I could admit to telling him off quite thoroughly at the Eclipse party, and maybe I'd called him "self-obsessed" only a few moments before, but that didn't change the fact that I turned into a mumbling, stumbling, blushing, horny, love-struck girl the moment I came within fifty feet of the man. It boggled my mind that he didn't see it.

Incapable of defining just how I felt about him, I abandoned the idea of telling him I didn't hate him. Edward was a stranger who only seemed familiar because I'd watched his films too many times to count, and my feelings about him shouldn't matter. I didn't know him personally. He wasn't really even an acquaintance, so attaching any strong emotion seemed inappropriate.

Lamely, I just sat there and looked at him, hoping he'd say something. Gracefully picking up his leg, he mechanically rested his left ankle on the top of his right knee before crossing his arms over the broad expanse of his chest. I couldn't help but notice the way his shirt fit snuggly over the lines of his shoulders. As he moved, his eyes never left their position, staring intensely into mine.

"You know, Bella," he admitted, "I find you very…confusing. " He smiled briefly and almost chuckled to himself before returning to the serious mask from before. "I'd love to know what you're thinking."

After letting the words linger, he drew his eyebrows together and searched for the right words to continue. "The other night, your friend, Rose, was it? Well, she went on and on about how much you 'love me' and 'worship me' and 'what to rip the clothes of my body,' and all that nonsense. But as I sit here studying you, I can't help but wonder if she was wrong. Maybe she had misunderstood your option of me. Was she wrong, Bella? I'd really like to know."

There was an arrogance to his question I really didn't like. Here was a man who had millions of women lining up every day to stroke his ego. I was baffled as to why he was so insistent that I bend to his whims and reveal just how much he affected me.

Pushing down my now raging butterflies, I replied coolly, "Of course I'm a fan, Edward, isn't just about every living, breathing person in the world with access to a television and an active Netflix account?"

"That's not what I mean, and you know it!" he practically shouted, surprising us both with the amount of frustration found in his voice. The couple sitting a few rows up momentarily turned around to look at us, gauging if everything was okay. Satisfied that we were just having a 'friendly' argument, they laughed and turned back to face toward the screen. "I honestly don't know what I've done to upset you today. I came over here to apologize for my behavior on Friday, and all you've done is stare at me like I'm some disgusting monster. And I'm sorry if coming to this movie seems self-absorbed, but if you only knew the truth…" He sighed deeply, uncrossing his legs and leaning over to rest his elbows on his knees. "Oh, never mind. I don't understand why I even care what you think."

His eyes were focused on the floor when I quietly inquired, "Then explain it to me, Edward. Why are you here?"

He tilted his head back up to look at me through the thick fringe of his lashes. "It's just something I do, I guess."

"What's something you do? Come to your own movies?" I asked. He looked strangely pained, as if he found this topic of conversation uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I mean, I don't know how to explain it." He looked back down at his feet and paused before he continued, "I like to watch the audience, you know, witness the emotions my performance brings out of them."

I laughed sarcastically, "Oh! I see. You like to watch people loving all over you. And remind me again how that isn't a tad 'self-absorbed'?"

He took a deep, calming breath, which I began to suspect was a usual habit of his, before letting his head fall further forward. He reached his arm up to rub at the back of his neck, reminding me of the same nervous tick he'd displayed at the Eclipse party.

"Jesus! You're kinda irritating…" he said, still looking down at the floor. "Has anyone ever told you that before?" He stopped, sitting up to look at me intensely. "You're completely misunderstanding me, Bella, and I think maybe I should just move. The movie is going to start any minute, and I can see we aren't getting anywhere with this conversation."

As he made to stand up, I was slammed with the most startling sense of panic. My arm immediately shot out, and I grabbed his wrist, lacing my small fingers around the muscled flesh of his forearm. Edward looked down at my hand and slowly followed the line of my arm, raking his eyes over the distance before reaching my face.

"Please, Edward, don't move on my behalf!" I begged, while unconsciously tracing my thumb over the soft hairs of his arm. He froze, and each hair seemed to spark as it met the sensitive pad of my finger. I'd only been given the opportunity to touch him once before, and that had been out of anger, only lasting the most fleeting of moments as I'd pushed him away.

The continued contact of my hand and his arm was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I knew that once the contact was severed, I'd never feel the overwhelming sensation again. Looking up at him to meet his heavily guarded eyes, I wished more than anything I could hear his thoughts.

_Why do I want to stay like this forever? Could he possibly feel the same way and why isn't he pulling away?_

After first committing the feel of his skin to my memory, I painfully pulled my hand away, causing Edward to close his eyes tightly.

"I'm sorry. My emotions are just so jumbled right now," I explained, still waiting to see if he would, indeed, leave me. "I find your presence rather unnerving and incredibly surreal. To be honest, I'm not entirely convinced that you're real and not some insane manifestation of my over-emotional brain," I laughed nervously and rubbed my hands over my over-heated face.

Edward's body shifted slightly as he looked around the nearly empty room before sitting back down in his seat.

"So, I make you emotional? Tell me why," he asked, his face completely serious.

"It's not you. I mean, it's you, but not just you. My life has been turned upside down the past couple weeks," I practically cried, beyond the point of caring. "My fiancé, Jake, keeps pulling away from me, and I think he's keeping secrets. Not only that, but my job sucks and, well, then I met you. I don't have to tell you what a disaster that was."

He didn't say anything the entire time I vented, patiently allowing me time to finish.

"Oh, God!" I moaned, completely horrified by my embarrassing outburst. "I'm just making this worse. I'm going to shut up now and leave you alone. Please, don't let me ruin your enjoyment of the movie." I turned back around, and wished I could just fade into the velvet upholstery of the seat.

Time passed, and neither of us spoke nor moved as the lights of the theater dimmed slightly and the curtain covering the screen began to rise beautifully.

Edward shifted around in his seat, telling me with his body that he too, was uncomfortable breathing in the unresolved tension between the two of us.

"Can you just explain something to me?" I whispered, while making no indication I was actually speaking to him. "I'm sitting here, trying to figure you out, and I'm coming up empty."

"What do you want to ask, Bella?" he interrupted, barely loud enough for me to hear.

"I still just don't understand why you're here. I guess it's none of my business, but as embarrassed as I am to admit this, I know you lied."

"Lied? What do you think I lied about?" His voice remained quietly cool, almost impossible to detect. "I told you exactly why I'm here, and, if you'll remember, you weren't exactly impressed."

"Your Twitter status, Edward! I'd just checked it before you seemingly magically appeared behind me."

He chuckled, and I could sense him moving again. "So, you like checking up on me, do you, Bella?" His voice took on the same teasing tone as before.

Irritated at his constant deflection of the topic, I shot back, "Will you _please_ just answer the question and stop fishing for compliments from me?" I paused, turning my attention back on him. My breathing momentarily stopped, because no matter how much I didn't want it to be true, Edward had a magical hold on me.

A little softer, I continued, "Yes, I'm a fan. But, you already knew that, didn't you?" I smiled and shrugged, thinking of the words I still needed to have with my best friend. "Rose made it very clear exactly how big of a fan I am, and I'm not going to deny that I find you appealing…very appealing. But, that doesn't change the fact that I'm still sitting here, trying to look past your appeal and past the Edward we all think we know and love. I want to know and understand what _really_ makes you tick."

Exhaling, he let a small grunt escape his lips that made him sound suddenly upset and panicked. He opened his mouth several times, as if to speak, but he quickly changed his mind and said nothing. Searching his eyes, I knew instantly that the wall he had momentarily let down was once again firmly in its place. His gaze was dead, almost blank, and I wanted to reach over and shake him so he wouldn't disappear.

As the lights in the room began to dim further, indicating the previews were about to begin, the sound of Rose's high heels could be heard clicking down the rows of the chairs behind us.

Clearly eager to leave, no longer interested in whatever the movie had to offer, Edward shot up, then hesitated, taking a moment to look down at me one last time. We both knew we would never speak again, and I wondered if that upset him as much as it did me. Slowly, he reached over and surprised me by handing me my cell before softly saying, "Here, you dropped this awhile ago." I'd all but forgotten about my phone and wondered just how long he had been holding onto it.

Placing my hand palm up, I expected him to release the phone, letting it drop into my waiting grasp, but he lowered his hand down to meet mine, instead. For an instant, he let his pinky finger wrap around the side of my hand. "Goodbye, Bella," he whispered, before releasing his grip, turning, and vanishing into the darkness of the theater.

I wanted to sob. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run after him and beg him to stay… but I didn't.

Rose's body slid noisily into the seat next to me as she threw her red leather Gucci purse onto my lap. "Shit, B!" she shouted, loud enough to be heard over the volume of the trailer currently playing. "It's been a fucking crazy day! I swear I seriously thought about ripping Newton's balls off more than once, and don't even get me started on that hag bitch, Lauren." She let out an overly dramatic sigh before finally turning to look at me through the darkness of the room.

I was frozen—sitting there like a statue, with Rose's bag resting in my lap. My eyes were fixated on the phone lying in my hand, as I remembered the man who had placed it there and vanished only moments before.

"Bella? Are you okay?" Rose's voice had taken on a rarely heard tone of concern. "Damn, you know I'm not mad at you still, right?"

Slowly, I turned my head to look at her as tears of confusion began to cloud my vision. The weight of my phone still burned on my flesh, painfully reminding me just how emotionally messed up I truly was.

Rose reached over and gently wiped at a tear that had escaped, stopping it from traveling down my face. "What's wrong, B? Is it Jake?"

Shaking my head up and down, then side to side, I didn't possess the words needed to describe to Rose what was wrong with me. Honestly I didn't even know if I even knew. She looked at me, deep worry written all over her face, and I turned away from her again.

Tightening my fingers around my phone, I moved my hand for the first time since Edward had left me. Out of habit, I pushed the button to check for any missed calls or messages and was surprised to find my "Note" app open on the screen.

There were words there. Words I hadn't written, staring me in the face.

BELLA-

IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ

ON THE INTERNET.

-E

For the second time that day, I dropped my phone.


	7. Chapter 6: Confrontations

**Ok, so thought I would post another of the chapters I had written just waiting to go up. Writer's block is making this process hard, but I promise to keep posting as long as I write something.**

**This chapter hasn't been betaed (as life is getting in the way of me managing that right now), but my awesome prereader MommaLaura did go through it with her amazing eye.**

**I think this chapter will make readers happy and is something people have been waiting for. It seems like I have LOTS of followers, so PLEASE leave a review if you are happy with how this chapter goes. I think reviews will be what I need to help with this writer's block! **

CHAPTER 6

A little over a month and a half had passed since I'd met Edward. Jake and I'd managed to fall back into a routine of sorts, but the chill that remained between us couldn't be ignored. He stayed busy with work, spending more nights at the office than at home, while I spent my free time reading, hanging with Rose, and trying to figure out what I wanted from my life. I never confronted Jake about lying to me at the party, partly because I knew our relationship couldn't handle another huge blow-up, but also because that night at the movie, Rose had discouraged it.

She had proved to be an amazing support system. It was through about a million conversations with her, that I was able to process and organize my insanely jumbled emotions. Despite her usual annoyance and 'anti-Team Jake' attitude, Rose had convinced me that I was probably overreacting about the lying ordeal, saying Newton couldn't remember if his 'dick was still attached to his balls' most days, and that Jake was most likely telling the truth. She did manage to text Jake while he was still out-of-town on business, calling him "Editor-in-Chief of Douche Weekly" for having left me at the party in the first place. Apparently, she hadn't completely lost her mind when it came to our relationship.

When the time arrived that she asked about Edward, I became secretive and almost angry at the idea of giving her even the smallest detail of what happened between us. I'd described, in full snarky commentary, the interaction we'd shared at the Eclipse party, leaving out absolutely nothing. Beyond shocked, she swore to find him someday, no matter what it took, and shove her favorite pair of Manolo Blahnik heels up his 'perfectly shaped ass.'

As for the time Edward and I'd spent together at the movie theater, I told no one.

The wind blew at the long strands of my hair, beautifully separating the individual pieces, as I walked the few short blocks between my train stop and New Moon Café. I felt unusually giddy as I made my way to work, enjoying the summer weather and the warming sensation the sun left on my skin.

Smiling, I straightened my knit Michael Kors wrap dress before pushing open the door to New Moon. The small café was incredibly cozy, with only enough room to fit four tables and a couple of booths down the front and side walls. Creatively decorated with an astrology-themed design, the walls and ceiling were painted a deep midnight blue and covered with graphic artwork of objects of the solar system. A small counter ran along the back, where dozens of pastries and sandwiches were on display. To top it all off, Angela's charm and attention to her customers was really the reason New Moon was so loved by the thousands of people in the surrounding neighborhood.

A petite girl with short, dark brown hair, who I'd never seen before, stood behind the counter. She matched my cheerful mood with the most welcoming expression I'd seen in ages. As Angela helped a businessman in a dark navy, pinstripe suit, the new girl eagerly turned her attention in my direction and waved me over to approach the counter.

"Hi!" she exclaimed as I approached. "Welcome to New Moon! What can I get for you today?" Her over-the-top excitement to help me was so bizarrely funny, I couldn't help but laugh at her question.

"Um, I think I'll take a caramel latte, please." I paused, wondering if I should take Jake something, too, considering he'd left for work well before I'd gotten out of bed. "And could I also get a large, regular coffee, black?"

Her eyes lit up as she nodded, answering, "Sure thing! Just give me a couple minutes, and I'll jump right on those for you." She flashed me another gigantic smile before skipping off to grab the drinks.

Angela turned and grinned in my direction before walking over to rest on the counter. "Hey, Bella! Haven't seen you in here for a couple days."

I exhaled dramatically, indicating mock exhaustion before explaining, "I know, Ang! I've been trying to get in here all week, but we've been absolutely swamped at Eclipse. I haven't been this excited for a Friday in ages," I laughed, moving to remove my purse from my shoulder and place it up on the counter. "So, I see you've got a new girl." I pointed, nodding my head at the adorable girl.

"Yeah, ever since Jess left me to join you over at Eclipse, I've been hurting for help," Angela sarcastically whined. "Her name's Alice, and she just moved to the city from some small town over on the west side of the state." She hesitated and turned toward the girl. "Where did you say you moved from again, Alice?"

If humanly possible, her smile managed to grow even larger at Angela's question. "Bishop Hill," she answered cheerfully while grabbing my finished drinks and heading our way. "My dad runs a little art gallery there, which is where I worked while I completed my BA in fashion design." Setting the drinks down, she slid them my way.

"Fashion design, huh? How would you feel about being my pro bono personal shopper? I jokingly asked. "Seriously, though, I'm hopeless. Everything I wear, my friend, Rose, has picked out."

"I'd love that! It's so hard to meet people in the city," she continued, looking genuinely excited. "Anytime you need me, I'm your girl!" She looked at me for a couple moments, and I recognized the same look of longing I'd given Rose the first time we'd spoken at Eclipse. "Did I hear Angela say your name's Bella?"

"You sure did," I said, reaching out to shake her hand.

"That's such a beautiful name. Mine's Alice, by the way. I hope we can be fantastic friends."

The sound of another customer entering sent her scurrying back down to the other end of the counter before I had time to say another word.

"Well…" I turned my attention back to Angela. "I better head out before I'm late and forced to hear it from Jess." Grinning, I placed enough cash on the counter to cover my drinks, grabbed my stuff, and headed toward the door. Before I stepped back out on the Chicago sidewalk, I called back over my shoulder, "Nice to meet you, Alice. Shopping soon! Okay?"

Snapping her head up from the cappuccino machine, she yelled, "Absolutely, Bella! I can't wait!"

Bright sunlight made the lobby of Eclipse practically glow as I walked across the marble floor and threw my bag on my desk. I felt light and happy as I temporarily set the drinks down, unpacked my computer, and pulled out my phone to check for any new messages. Surprised by the uncharacteristically early text, I clicked on Rose's flashing name.

Aug 10, 2012 9:05 AM

_Morning, beautiful! Surprised my gorgeous_

_ass is up?_

**Very surprised! What's up?**

_I have to come in to the office._

_Fucking meeting with Newton._

**Welcome to the working world!**

_Ugh! Bitch! _

_So, wanna grab dinner tonight?_

_Or you gonna do something_

_with the douche?_

**I'd love dinner, unless **

**Jake has something else in mind.**

**See you when you get in?**

_Okay, laters, B!_

Setting my phone down, I quickly grabbed Jake's coffee, realizing it was probably getting cold, and I didn't want it to go to waste. I hurried my way back across the lobby towards the elevator and was lucky enough to slide right in and begin my travels up to the third floor.

_I hope he's in a good mood this morning, cause he's been annoying the hell out of me lately. This coffee should at least get a smile from him._

As the doors dinged open, I instantly noticed how quiet and isolated the floor seemed. There were no noticeable movements or noises that normally came with bodies working on a business floor. I made my way into Jake's office and wasn't surprised to find it empty.

The light was on, and there were other clear signs of his being nearby. Paperwork was messily placed all over his large desk, and his computer's screen glowed brightly, having not gone to sleep from lack of activity. I walked around his chair to place his coffee on a coaster to the left of his laptop and ran my fingers over the scattered and frantic loose pieces of paper. Momentarily, my heart warmed as I saw the evidence of his hard work on proud display, and I smiled, still grateful for the long hours that'd been such a source of tension in our relationship.

In an instant those tender thoughts were gone and replaced by pure, paralyzing hatred. Stiffening, my body failed to function as my eyes landed on his phone.

I stood there, holding the coffee I'd just thoughtfully bought for him, completely stunned and frozen, as I remained focused on the iPhone Jake had told me was stolen in the mugging. It was just lying there, innocently placed on his desk like that was the completely logical and normal place for it to be. A sick feeling crept into the pit of my stomach, and my heart began to beat so forcefully I could practically hear it hitting the wall of my chest.

_What the fuck is this doing here?_

Without thinking, I dropped the coffee into the trashcan at my feet and reached down to pick up the object of my horror.

"What the fuck is going on with you, Jake?" I said aloud, becoming angry with myself for the tears that were already threatening to burst from my eyes.

I slid my finger over the smooth surface to bring the phone to life and was again surprised to find the lock-out screen light up. Jake and I had never protected our cells with a password, always joking that we were too boring and lame for anyone to care what we kept on our phones.

My head shot up at the sound of the office door opening, and I let out a steadying breath as I watched Jake confidently enter the room. Surprised by my presence, he greeted, "Oh! Hey, Bells," stopping abruptly when his eyes discovered the phone locked tightly in my hand.

_You look so guilty right now. Do you know that, Jake? I have been so blind, but not anymore._

"What the fuck is this, Jake?" I screamed, not caring if Jess could hear me all the way down in HR. My body was shaking so violently, I felt as though I could throw up any minute.

He laughed nervously, darting his eyes around the room as if to search for an escape. "It's my phone, Bells," he answered. His voice was laced with fake cheerfulness.

My eyes practically blazed red at his dancing around my question. "I'm so sick of the lies, Jake. I know that Mike didn't send you here during the Eclipse party, and I know this is your goddamn phone!" I whaled. "What the fuck is it doing here?"

I slammed the phone down onto his desk with such force that the screen immediately shattered, splitting all the way from top to bottom.

He flinched, and I could see him thinking, analyzing the situation and trying to figure out his best course of action. Putting up his hands, motioning at me as though I was armed, he slowly walked forward while trying to gauge my next move.

"Answer my question, Jake!" I sobbed, knowing he was incapable of telling me the truth.

"Okay, okay. I will," he responded, sounding panicked and slightly annoyed. He sighed and paused, letting the room become painfully quiet. Finally, he whispered, "I didn't get mugged the night of the Eclipse party.

It seemed to take forever for the full magnitude of that statement to drift through the air from Jake's lips to my ears. I'd never experienced what it felt like to get punched in the stomach, but at that moment, I imagined it was something close to what those words felt like. I could do nothing but stare at him, too angry even try to think of a way to respond.

"Listen, just calm down, Bells. Let me explain, okay?" The expression on his face was painted with concern, but the tone of his voice included an edge of condescension.

"Explain, what?! There is absolutely nothing to explain, Jake. You've been lying to me for weeks now. That's honestly all I need to know."

He opened his mouth to attempt to explain further just as the chipper voice of Lauren entered the room before the rest of her followed. "Hey, Jakey? What are your plans for…" She stopped, having only made it halfway through the door, when her beady, blue eyes fell upon my very unfriendly looking stance behind Jake's desk.

_You. Have. To. Be. Fucking. Kidding. Me! Jakey? Did she just call him Jakey?_

My knees buckled slightly as the naïve veil that had been hanging over my eyes, clouding my vision, went up in blistering flames. Moving my gaze to pass back and forth between the two of them, I noticed an unusual look in Jake's eyes and the way she shifted, looking nervous.

_Jake is screwing Lauren. Shit. Damn. Fuck!_

I didn't need him to tell me anything. Explanations were unnecessary, and I couldn't believe how blind I'd been.

As I stood there in Jake's office, staring at the two people who'd managed to destroy the life I'd been living for nearly five years, I instantly started to process the emotions I was experiencing. Undeniably, I was angry and hurt, feeling as though a metaphorical rug had been pulled out from under me, but what surprised me the most was that I didn't feel destroyed.

_Shouldn't this hurt more? Shouldn't I want to crawl under this desk and turn into a nonfunctioning zombie for the next few months?_

Narrowing my eyes, I refused to look away from Lauren, studying her stare with such intensity; she was unable to match it, and eventually looked away like the coward she was. I momentarily asked myself why he would choose her. What she had that I didn't? But then, I realized that it didn't matter, and I didn't fucking want to know.

Paralyzed by the ridiculousness of the entire situation, I continued to stand there, letting my gaze trace back and forth between the two of them.

_Say something, you assholes. Are you seriously just going to stand there and hope I don't know what's going on?_

Suddenly, the door of Jake's office swung completely open, literally knocking Laruen out of the way, as Rose's Prada covered body barged into the room. "Good morning, gorgeous bitches!" she greeted dramatically before spotting Lauren and adding in a much less enthusiastic tone, "Oh, hey, Lauren."

She walked over to the mahogany framed mirror hanging on the far wall, taking a moment to check her perfectly styled blonde curls before turning back around to face the rest of us. The large, silly smile that'd been plastered on her face wavered slightly as she settled on my face, reading my eyes in the way only a best friend could.

She cleared her throat before laughing slightly and commenting, "Geez, you three look like you've got your panties in a bunch. It's fucking Friday, or didn't you get that memo?" Turning to face me, she asked, "What's going on, B?"

My hands still rested on the top of Jake's desk, and I quietly started rhythmically drumming my fingers over the cluttered wooden surface. Without letting my eyes leaved Rose's, I very coolly answered, "Oh, not much really, Rose. Unless you consider the fact that Jake's been fucking Lauren newsworthy."

The second the words left my mouth, Jake took a step in my direction and hissed, "Bella, don't do this!"

"Do what, Jake?" I asked innocently, as Rose's face took on the fiercest look of fury I'd ever seen. Her head snapped almost demonically as she turned her attention to the unlucky 'lovebirds.'

Lauren's eyes doubled in size as she took in Rose's stare, and the expression told me she wouldn't dare try to deny anything. Everyone who knew Rose, feared her, knowing her unique ability to make her enemy's life a living hell.

Jake quickly crossed the length of the room and came to stand directly across from me at his desk. He, too, placed his hands on the top, pressing his palms onto the cool surface. As he angled his body toward mine, I refused to flinch or give him any indication that his nearness repulsed my broken nerves.

"Bella, please! Let's just get the hell out of here," Jake whispered aggressively and reached over to firmly lace his strong fingers around my wrist. "We need to talk, and you _will_ let me explain myself."

"Get your disgusting and nasty smelling, fiancée cheating, Lauren-pussy-stained hand off her'!" Rose snarled, while standing in defense by the door. Her graphic words painted pictures I didn't want to being thinking about.

"Stay out of this, Rose! It's none of your fucking business, and I'm so damn tired of you sticking your nose in where it doesn't fucking belong!" Jake bit back, trying to match Rose's fury.

Finding the courage to move, I jerked my hand free of Jake's hold and took a couple steps back to give myself room to think. _I need to get my ass out of here. His face is making me sick, and this room is fucking spinning._

Looking Jake directly in the eyes, I tried my best to fake a calm demeanor, as I firmly said, "Please, Jake. I really don't want to talk to you right now. I've nothing to say to you."

"But, Bella…" he interrupted.

"No, Jake!" I continued, much more angrily than before. "I need time, lots of time, actually, before I want to see or speak to you again. I don't want to stand here and scream and call you all the names that are floating around in my head. I could easily do that, Jake. I could rip into you with every fiber of my being, and I could throw things and make an even bigger fool out of myself than you've already managed to do. But, I'm not going to." I stopped, shifting my focus to Rose, praying she'd go along with my planned course of action. "I'm going to leave now and go to Rose's for the rest of the day. When I get home late tonight, I don't want you there. Go stay with Mike…" My eyes briefly moved to Lauren's still stupidly stunned face. "Hell, go stay with Lauren, since apparently you find her bed so much more comfortable than mine."

I reached up and rubbed my face in frustration. "Please, just respect me enough to give me space. That's all I'm asking for."

The distance between Jake's desk and his office door seemed to stretch out for miles as I began my escape from the nightmarish events of the last hour. Stepping out from behind his desk, I glared at him, silently demanding he let me go. When he didn't show any sign of resistance, I turned my focus to Rose. She was my salvation from the bloody mess invisibly splattered all over the office walls. Each step I took threatened to send me over the edge of an emotional precipice; I was just waiting for the ground to falter and send me spiraling into darkness.

I refused to look at Lauren as I crossed only inches in front of her on my way to join Rose at the door. A small, yet very satisfied laugh escaped my lips when I heard Lauren let out a shaky breath, clearly relieved I hadn't turned on her.

_That's right, you slut. You're not worth it. My words, my thoughts are too good for you._

Rose was still frozen, looking at Jake with such raw hatred that I wasn't sure who was more pissed at him, her or me. Without releasing him from her death stare, she reached out and gripped my hand, pulling slightly so I would step closer and lessen the space between us. Her hand was shaking, and I could see tears beginning to pool at the edges of her eyes. She was hurting for me, sickened by what he'd done to her best friend.

Squeezing my hand a couple times in reassurance, she then spoke clearly and lethally, "You will leave her alone, Jake! I don't give a flying fuck why you felt the need to stick your tiny little wiener in anyone but Bella." She paused a second to laugh, pointing her finger directly at his crotch. "But, you did, and now you're royally screwed. If you so much as use the front doors of Eclipse in the morning, forcing Bella the humiliation of having to look at your fugly face, I swear I will find a way to rip off your goddamn balls and then do my best tribal Native American dance on top of their remains."

"You're such a fucking bitch, Rose!" he hissed, despite the clear uneasiness I could detect in his face.

She nodded slowly. "Yes, I am, Jake."

Still firmly holding my hand, she shifted slightly to angle her body in Lauren's direction. "And you…" she started, speaking in a lighter, slightly less lethal tone. "I hope you realize that before this fun little pow wow, I barely even knew you existed. Now I realize that might sound harsh or mean, and you might be asking yourself, 'What do I care if Rosalie Hale hates me?' Well, Lauren, let me answer that question for you."

She released my hand and took two very intimidating steps toward the woman I refused to acknowledge. "Mr. Newton, you know, your boss? He fucking loves me. Not only will he openly admit to it, but he generally takes my advice on anything dealing with his precious company. I'm the fucking face of Eclipse Marketing Solutions, or had you forgotten that when you chose to spread your legs for my best friend's fiancé?"

Unable to resist the urge, I looked over at Lauren and noticed her face was completely drained of color.

_Why aren't you standing up for her, Jake? Isn't she the new love of your life? _

Suddenly, I felt warm, too warm, and I knew if I didn't escape soon, I'd pass out, vomit, or some tragic combination of the two. Mustering the only tangible thoughts I still possessed, I reached for the handle to the office door and turned my back on my closest friend and two people I didn't have the words to define.

"Rose, don't!" I said quietly, sounding so weak I was instantly disappointed in my own inability to mask my shaken reserve. "It's not worth it. _They're_ not worth it. I just want to leave." I stared at the wooden surface of the door, wishing more than anything I was at home, snuggled up in bed, watching _Afterglow_, oblivious to the throbbing ache in my heart.

"Absolutely, Bella. Whatever you say. I'm done with these two anyway." I could hear her heels turning on the floor as she came up behind me, ready to follow and support whenever necessary.

Without giving Jake the satisfaction of looking back at him again, I gently pushed down the bronze handle and opened the doorway to my future. My emotional haze couldn't clarify the extent and level of change I knew awaited just beyond the frame of the wooden door, but I had no doubt I was stepping away from something that'd been broken for quite some time and toward something I hoped would be immeasurably better.

**So, is this what you hoped would happen? Are you happy with Bella's reaction? Wish she would've reacted differently? Let me know! **


	8. Chapter 7: Glamour

**Wow! Sorry for the delay of this chapter. RL makes writing difficult, but I promise to keep working away if you promise to keep reading and reviewing.**

**So, I just got the most amazing message. Apparently No Questions Asked has been nominated for fic of the week over at The Lemonade Stand. PLEASE head over there and vote. Whoever nominated me, please let me know who you are so I can give you a shout out. The email in my mailbox this morning made my day and inspired me to post this chapter.**

*******UPDATE***** There was a glitch in the poll at The Lemonade Stand and my nomination accidentally was dropped from the poll. :( So sad. I was winning too darnit. Anyway, didn't want you all to think I was nuts as you ran over there to vote. Well...hopefully you were running there to vote. Next time! :)**

**Be warned, this has not been betaed. It is pure me….which tends to me a hot mess. Still, it is a long one and we meet a new character or two I think you will enjoy! **

CHAPTER 7-GLAMOUR

The remainder of August had gone by in a blur of activity and emotion, as I found my life changing monumentally in a variety of ways. Insisting that Jake move out of the loft had been one of the hardest things I'd ever done, not because I'd felt shitty about leaving him homeless, but because he'd basically refused. Wanting time to try to "make things right," he'd become irate the second I'd told him I just couldn't give it, and if it hadn't been for Rose showing up, part of me believes he would've turned violent. Fortunately, Mr. Newton had sent him out-of-town on business a few days later, so I've only had to deal with his begging and whining from a distance.

I found myself sending lots of time thinking about how utterly foolish I'd been. Jake had been cheating, and that revelation had flipped my very normal world upside down, but what I found so startling was that I wasn't so upset about losing him as I was about the idea of losing _us_. Not only had I been blind to his cheating, but I'd overlooked it because I'd been acting like a complete idiot, pining over a completely unattainable movie star who clearly thought I was nuts. I was furious with Jake for betraying our relationship and disrespecting the history we'd shared together, and I was furious with myself for turning a blind eye so I could act like an immature fangirl. But also, I was irrationally angry with Edward. Despite all the drama and all the changing relationships, he was at the forefront of my thoughts, and I wanted nothing more than to be rid of him.

The last time I'd visited Rose's place had been that Friday after the initial blowup, when I sat in quiet disbelief for a few hours, digesting everything that'd happened that life-changing morning. Now, as I returned to Rose's nearly a month later, I appreciated the walk, and its ability to give me time to clear my head as the slightly cooler September air helped wash away some of the bits of anger still tramped inside.

Rose lived in an ultra-modern apartment building located only a few blocks from many of the exclusive clubs in the city. The convenience of the location alone made it a perfect fit for Rose's very active nightlife, but what I loved and envied most was its insanely cool architecture. The large building had once been a highly industrious factory, making shoes or cheese or some equally important product. It'd been saved from demolition five years before by some land developer with more money than I'd know what to do with, so instead of tearing it down and building new, the building was saved. The inside had been gutted, leaving the outside to look like the rustic building it once was. If it wasn't for the newly replaced revolving door and attentive doorman standing on the sidewalk, it'd be almost impossible to know that inside were some of Chicago's most sought after apartments.

Pushing open the door to her place, I shouted a greeting into the very open space. "Hey, Rose! I'm here! No wonder your ass is in such great shape. That's a long walk from the train!"

"Afternoon, gorgeous!" she purred, peeking her head out from the bedroom doorway. "So, how fucking excited are you for tonight?"

Sinking into the posh leather cushions of her sofa, my entire body was grateful for the contact with the chilly material as I answered, "I've honestly been looking forward to it all week, Rose. It's about time I got out and let lose."

Rose had managed to magically snag us access to Volturi, after charming the pants off of Aro at a marketing function a few weeks before. Despite my initial reservations to return to the setting of my original, and very strange meeting with Edward, desperation for a girl's night out quickly kicked those stupid feelings to the curb. We'd even invited Jess to join us, but had refused to fill her in on the exact destination of our rendezvous, knowing she would be over-the-top excited, and turn into an annoying , nonfunctional human being until we stepped foot into exclusive club.

Crossing past me, Rose headed into the kitchen where she began rustling around in the gorgeous cupboards, searching for something for us to eat despite her very limited culinary abilities.

"Do I see a fucking smile on your face, B?" Her eyes glittered with relief and amusement as she abandoned the attempt at food and grabbed two oversized glasses of wine before walking over to join me at the sofa. "There is hope for you yet. I swear, I would've made Jake's life a mother-fucking nightmare if you'd turned into one of those heartbroken zombie women who stops shaving her legs and forgets to brush her hair and teeth for weeks on end."

After setting her glass of wine on the coffee table, she reached down and hooked her hand around one of her heels, pulling if off and then throwing it over her shoulder, sending it flying across the insanely expensive apartment.

"Why in the hell are you wearing heels on a Saturday afternoon, anyway?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Slightly confused by my question, she answered, "I had to run down to the liquor store on the corner. I was out of wine. Why?"

Her beautiful face was stone-cold serious, making her look and sound certifiably insane, and _finally_, without thinking, I laughed. I couldn't remember genuinely laughing since I locked eyes on Lauren in Jake's office week before, and it felt amazing.

"You look…nuts, you know that, right?" I giggled, reaching over to grab my glass from her outstretched hand. "But yeah, I'm smiling. I'm not going to sit here and lie, telling you nothing is wrong with me. I think I'd have to be a robot not to feel anything after everything that has happened recently, but honestly I don't feel horrible. I think I'm just a bit of an emotional mess."

Taking a very healthy drink of wine, I tried to organize some of the very jumbled thoughts I'd been going over all month, releasing even more of the anger and frustration and replacing the negative emotions with anticipation and excitement over our plans for the evening.

Releasing a small breath, I smiled in disbelief and shook my head. "Look, I really don't want to sit here all day and talk about me, turning us into the stereotypical women scorned. Not only does it accomplish nothing, but my ass will get fat from all the ice cream I'm apparently supposed to eat." Pulling my feet up onto the seat with me, I wrapped my arms around my legs, gently rocking myself back and forth. "I'm _really_ excited about going to Volturi tonight, Rose. I want to go out more than I've ever wanted to before."

Standing, she wiggled to straighten her skintight Prada skirt before placing her hands on her hips. _Who wear Prada on a Saturday morning? _Still only wearing one shoe, she awkwardly spun around, flashing me a wicked grin and arching a perfectly waxed eyebrow.

"If that's the case, B. We need to find something for you to wear!"

-NQA-

The day turned out to be surprisingly therapeutic, and hilarious, as Rose and I spent the afternoon watching movies, waxing our bodies, chatting, and Jake and Lauren bashing. As I laid, sprawled out on Rose's massive rod iron bed, letting my freshly painted toes dry, I allowed myself to think of Edward for the first time that day.

Ever since our mysterious meeting at the movie, I'd spent increasingly unhealthy amounts of time thinking of his beautiful, yet very dead eyes. I took every available opportunity to find out anything I could about his whereabouts, filming schedule, personal life, and very confusing personality. Having the loft to myself ever since Jake had moved out, I'd been inadvertently provided countless opportunities to sit on my bed with my laptop, piecing together the many complexities of the man I'd mistakenly assumed was a simple, gorgeous movie star. It'd become an obsession and was beginning to bother me more and more that my own mind and heart couldn't let him go.

_What is wrong with me? What kind of sick person fantasizes about some random movie star instead of mourning the loss of a seven-year relationship?_

Desperately, I fought the haunted eyes that were dangerously close to invading my thoughts. I wanted more than anything to go back to what it was like before the Eclipse party over two months before, but deep down, I knew the encounter had affected me, and Edward Masen wasn't just some _random_ movie star.

I could faintly hear Rose moving around inside the bathroom and the gentle hiss of the water as she turned on the shower. The doors to Volturi opened promptly at eight, and Rose insisted we not go running in like a couple pathetic wannabes, so, we planned to leave her apartment a little after nine.

Bored, I dug around in my purse to search for my phone, thinking that Jess might've gotten lost trying to find Rose's building. Instead of a missed call from Jess, I happily discovered a new text from Alice.

Sept 1, 2012 4:16 PM

_Hey! Just wanted to say hi._

_Thanks so much for taking me shopping_

_last weekend. _

**Hey, Alice! **

**No problem. It was fun. We need**

**to get together again soon.**

_Absolutely! Headed to New Moon_

_now, but I might give you a _

_call tomorrow. We can make plans_

_for sometime this week, maybe?_

**Yuck, working on Saturday! **

**Yeah, maybe dinner some night**

**this week. My calendar is open.**

**I'm a lone ranger.**

_LOL! Jake's an ass._

_This week then! I'm looking forward to_

_it! Bye!_

**TTYL**

The sound of knocking brought my attention to the front door, and I braced myself for the firestorm I was sure would follow as soon as I opened it. Jumping off the bed, I leisurely made my way across the smooth, concrete floors and quickly unlatched the door to welcome the whirlwind that was Jess.

"Oh, my, God, Bella! Where the hell are we going tonight?" she shrieked, pushing herself past me and throwing her keys and purse onto the counter. "You need to spill, like right now, cause this not knowing shit is driving me nuts." She glowered at me, obviously annoyed that I possess knowledge she wasn't privy to. Taking a moment to focus for the first time on her surroundings, she added, "Shit! This place is awesome!"

_This is too much fun, Jess. I think a little more torture is just the medicine I need._

Jess had been incredibly supportive after the Jake blow-up at Eclipse. Following her lead, most of the office had rallied behind me, making the pain and humiliation of facing Lauren each day, easier to deal with. One of my daily highlights had become listening to the names Jess mumbled under her breath each morning as Lauren passed by our desk as she traveled to the elevator "Human mattress," "slutbag," and "skankbitch," had become some of my favorites.

After closing the door, I walked around Jess and went to grab my glass of wine still sitting by the couch. She was watching me impatiently, and as I took a slow, steadying drink, she crossed her arms and let out a very dramatic breath.

"You're torturing me, Bella! Say something, anything, please!" she begged. "Are we going someplace cool, like _really_ cool? I bet it's going to be fancy. Is it fancy, Bella? It is, isn't it!" She winked one of those big, awkward 'I know your secret' winks, while clapping her hands.

Just as I opened my mouth to speak, the buzz of my phone provided the perfect distraction, and I scampered off to Rose's room, leaving Jess in complete anticipation of the true story. No one could allude her, and despite my attempts to postpone the big reveal, I knew Jess's ability to sniff out the truth like a bloodhound.

When I reached Rose's bed, the screen of my phone was glowing, indicating I had two missed calls, and just as I was about to see who they were from, Jess came charging into the room behind me with scary determination written all over her face. She passed by the bed, moving in the direction of the bathroom and immediately began pounding incessantly on the door.

"Rose! It's Jess!" she practically wailed. She paused a moment and looked over her shoulder at me mischievously like she was proud of herself. "Bella isn't telling me anything, and I must have details!"

Rose's yell could be heard over the sounds of the running water as she screamed angrily, "I'm in the fucking shower, Jess! Hold your tits and stop pounding on the damn door!"

Using the opportunity to sneak in some much needed privacy, I grabbed my phone and headed towards Rose's monstrous walk-in closet, quietly clicking the door closed behind me.

_My God, Rose! Do you have the entire shoe department of Macy's living in here? This is ridiculous. Awesome…but ridiculous!_

Curling myself into a comfortable ball on the floor, I swiped my finger over the screen to check my messages. What I discovered not only disappointed me, but instantly made my skin crawl with disgust. All the messed calls and new messages were from Jake.

_What the hell do you want from me? Why can't you just leave me alone for one goddamn day?_

I didn't know who I expected it to be, but Jake had managed to magically erase himself from the list of possibilities by screwing Lauren. I had no intention of checking to see what he wanted. It didn't matter anymore, and as I stared at the screen, I let my eyes survey all the bright icons of the different apps. I couldn't help but he drawn in by the temptation of Twitter. With the push of a button, I could jump headfirst into a temporary escape, and secretly I could check on Edward.

Wiggling my body, I brought my legs together and thought about the symbolic choice my phone presented. I could either chose the very real, very tangible _boy_ who'd completely and utterly betrayed me, or I could turn towards an overwhelmingly unattainable and almost unreal _man_ I'd only just met, and knew I'd never see again…except through the magic of film.

Without even an ounce of hesitation, I smiled and tapped my finger on glowing little white bird.

I frantically scrolled past the hundreds of celebrity and Hollywood gossip posts I followed until I landed on his most recent entry, added an hour before.

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): Hitting the clubs again 1 Sept

tonight with my bro. The party never stops. Emmett McCarthy

Squinting at the screen in the darkness of the closet, I couldn't control the youthful giggle that spontaneously left my lips. I reached up to muffle the sound, remembering the note Edward had left for me on my phone.

BELLA-

IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ

ON THE INTERNET.

-E

Laughing again, I shook my head, and tired to imagine what he was really doing tonight.

_Are you going to attempt to go scope out your fans again at the movies? I seemed to ruin the experience for you the last time. Or maybe you're taking in a Broadway show? Aren't you in New York filming your next big blockbuster?_

Over the last month, the web had been abuzz with Edward Masen news. Not only had he been spotted in every major city in the country, he was seen at numerous restaurants and movies premieres with Tanya Denali draped shamelessly over his arm. Every single magazine had their flawless faces plastered on the cover, forcing the world to fall in love with Hollywood's new "it" couple. While Edward always refused to comment on the status of their relationship, Edward's manager and agent, James Lincoln, had been quoted many times, calling them "lucky" and saying they were "very much in love and enjoying the early stages of their new relationship."

The whole thing made me sick.

Not wanting to think about the unpleasant activities Edward could be doing with Tanya, activities I'd fantasized he'd shared with me too much times to count, I generally focused my internet stalking to his professional career. Apparently, Edward had been involved in secret negotiations for months with Twilight Productions to sign a multi-film deal and make him the highest paid actor in Hollywood. Aro had been flying him all over the country to meet with various big wigs in the industry, having also brought him to Chicago the infamous night of the Eclipse party.

When the deal was signed and made public a week before, it was huge news, and along with it came even more news that Edward was to immediately travel to New York and start production on the first film. Even though it shouldn't have mattered, the fact I knew he was so far from Chicago had made me sad.

Clicking on Edward's image to take me to his profile, I then swiped my finger across the screen to reread some of my favorite tweets from the previous month.

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): Being put on display 18 Aug

with all the pretty people. tanyadenali #hollywoodparty

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): Scored a free meal at 17 Jul

Fork's restaurant. Sometimes this face isn't a curse.

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): Sweatin like a porn star. 5 Jul

Gotta keep this body tight.

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): The party never stops. 21 Jun

VIP all the way. #lifestyleoftherichandthefamo us

He was the definition of a walking contradiction. On one hand, he appeared to the world as a happy, cocky, and completely hilarious playboy heartthrob, but on the other hand, he was the quiet, moody, and distant man I'd met. It was utterly fascinating. Having made it all the way back to early June, I came across another tweet that still managed to completely baffle me, a post he'd added the morning after our encounter at Red Apple.

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): Forgiveness really is so 14 Jun

misunderstood, as well as the power it can release in an individual.

#Ihavenowords

_What were you talking about Edward, and why did you post this only hours after those intense moments in the theater? Who are you asking forgiveness from?_

Lost in a haze of thought and confusion, I was startled by the violent pounding I heard coming from the direction of Rose's front door. I didn't move, instead sat frozen, listening to the sounds of scrambling feet and the door clicking open.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Jake?" I heard Rose spit, her voice laced with icy hatred.

My heart instantly raced, and I noticed an emotion settle into the pit of my stomach I'd never experienced before when it came to Jake: fear.

"Bella is going to speak to me," he demanded. "I know she's here, so if you would send her out, I'd really appreciate not having to come in there and make a scene."

I shifted around in the darkness of the closet trying to decide if I should go out there and face him, appease this need of his to speak to me, or if letting Rose get rid of him was the wiser thing to do. When Jake was mad, not only did his anger cause him to say things he didn't mean, but he could be irrational, and my ignoring him for weeks would've only fueled the intensity of his emotions. Before I even thought about what I wanted to do, Rose's voice practically rattled the walls of the apartment through the sheer force of her anger.

"Listen, you fucking piece of shit, not only am I _not _sending her out here to talk to you, but I'm not going to allow you to step one disgusting, cheating foot into my apartment. If you try, I swear to God on all things holy, that I'll call the police on your two-timing ass."

Without another word from either, I heard the door slam closed and the apartment grew eerily quiet as I continued to sit there and digest the fact that Jake would actually attempt coming to Rose's, knowing that she'd always given me shit about staying with him.

I didn't hear the closet door open or Rose's entrance into her meca-haven-of-clothes. Suddenly, she just appeared next to me.

"B? You okay?" Her voice was soft and concerned, but still managed to startle me.

"Shit! Oh, yes. Sorry! I'm fine."

"Then why in the fuck are you sitting in my closet?" she snapped, her voice much less warm, and much more Rose, than it'd been moments before.

Shrugging my shoulders, I smiled and answered, "I just needed a little time to myself, to, you know…clear my head."

"Well, enough of that self-pity shit," she teased. "You owe me big time by the way. While you were hiding in here, I had the pleasure of dealing with His Majesty of the Land of Douche."

I groaned as she reached over my head and flipped on the light so we were no longer surrounded by darkness. With the skilled concentration of a true fashion goddess, Rose then started digging through the long rows of beautiful clothes. I watched her, so completely in her element, and had to admit it was fascinating and slightly strange.

Out of nowhere, she shouted, "Found it!" She pulled a garment bag out from the back corner of the closet, and with a devilish smirk she turned to face me and said, "I think it's time we got you dressed."

-NQA-

By the time we reached Volturi, it was a little after nine and there was already a long line full of hopeful patrons desperate to step through the ultra exclusive doors. Aro's personal invitation allowed us to skip the humiliating wait and head straight to the VIP entrance located on the side of the club. As Aro's guests, Rose assured us we'd be treated like royalty and experience a night we'd never forget.

Running all the way up the length of the building and wrapping its way around the corner was an extravagant red neon sign that read "Volturi," that illuminated a full city block with its magical red glow. The sound of heels clicked against the hard pavement as we circled around to the side of the building, leaving the trace of a red shadow in our wake. A stern-looking man wearing a black suit with a gorgeous red silk tie stood at the VIP entrance as we approached, and he studied us intently. He didn't smile, but greeted us warmly, taking the time to meet each of our eyes as he said, "Welcome to Volturi, ladies. My name is Marcus." He paused, nodding his head in an informal sort of bow, then continued, "Aro mentioned you'd be stopping by. Let me show you inside."

_This is going to be fun. You're gonna have a great time. Just so long as there are no horny, spineless, cheating fiancés or golden-haired, moody, movie star sex Gods running about, what could possible go wrong? Right?_

Entering Volturi for the second time was no less intimidating or awe-inspiring than the first, and as I followed in the wake of Marcus' shadow, the smallest hint of apprehension tugged at my stomach as I looked around the immaculately decorated room. Everything about it made me think of Edward and the time we'd shared together in that room only a couple hundred feet away. Foolishly I wished I were at another important party, with other important people who'd have important enough connections to bring Edward along. I'd get another opportunity to meet the man who I'd spent every night for the last month thinking about and maybe find some answers to all the confusing questions I was drowning in.

"Um, B? You've gotta keep walking." Rose barked into my ear, pushing lightly on my back as I stood in the threshold of the doorway. "Don't tell me your damn feet hurt already. Those are my Badgley Mischka Roxie heels, and they cost more than your rent, so suck it up."

My eyes scanned the room as I stepped aside quietly, still too focused on the sights and memories associated with the place and truly appreciating the work of art that Aro had created. The VIP lobby was a little room hidden down a long corridor that made it nearly impossible for the regular club goers to discover. It too was furnished with the same modern sofas and old-world styled chairs that I remembered from my previous visit. The only noticeable addition being a gigantic mirror that took up the entire length of the sidewall, giving the illusion the room was double its actual size.

By the time Rose came through the door, Jess was practically bouncing around the room while I eagerly waited to head inside and grab a drink from the bar to settle my nerves. Rose came to stand between the two of us, wrapping an arm around each of our shoulders, forcing us to turn just slightly so we faced our reflections in the mirror.

"Ladies, I believe we are three of the hottest fucking women to _ever_ step foot into this joint." She winked, proud of the makeovers she'd spent the last few hours perfecting in her apartment.

Not having the energy or gumption to fight with Jess over the full-length mirror at Rose's, I'd only seen bits and pieces of my completed look until that moment, standing with Rose's body draped over my left shoulder. For the first time, for really as long as I could remember, I looked stunningly beautiful…Rose beautiful...movie star beautiful.

"Damn, B!" Rose sighed proudly. "I love Royce even more for the fucking genius of that dress. You look amazing!"

"Thanks, Rose." I laughed, a little self-consciously. "I must admit, it looks pretty damn good, doesn't it?"

It just so happened that Rose's closest high school friend, Royce King, was a very hot, and very gay, up-in-coming fashion designer. Not only did he provide Rose with essential fashion advice, but also he supplied her with an endless amount of free samples.

Back at her apartment, Rose had told me she'd cashed in on an I.O.U. that dated all the way back to high school, the details of which she refused to share. Apparently, Rose had asked Royce to make me a custom cocktail dress she'd planned to give me to wear the night of my bachelorette party, and the dress was absolutely stunning.

Just like the last time I'd come to Volturi, I was wearing a "little black dress," however, nothing about this magnificent creation could be compared to the simple design of the Calvin Klein.

It was made entirely of small iridescent sequins that caused the material to shimmer and glow when the light hit it just right, giving the illusion of an almost golden hue. The top was sleeveless and lose fitting, featuring a dangerously low, squared off plunging neckline that I'd initially mistaken for the back.

I'd yelled at Rose when she'd pulled the dress out of the garment bag, insisting there was no way in hell my very average chest could support the sexy silhouette. Rose, being Rose, insisted that Royce had made it exactly to my measurements, and it'd look fabulous.

From just below the bust line down to the hem that hit right above the knee, the dress tightly hugged my small frame, displaying my curves perfectly and showing off Royce's immaculate tailoring skills. The dress was a work of art.

Not wanting to ignore the painstaking work Rose had done, I looked again at my makeup and hair. Keeping my look subtle and dramatic, Rose had said her goal was to play up the deep beauty of my "bedroom eyes." A shimmery golden-tan swept across my eyelids along with black liquid liner, giving me an old Hollywood feel, while my ridiculously long lashes were accented with three coats of mascara. Light bronzer accented my cheekbones, creating "contours and depth," according to Rose. To finish it off, a shimmering gloss glistened against my full, pouty lips.

When it came to my hair, Rose and I'd bumped heads, arguing about the perfect style to accent my killer dress. I'd wanted to stick with my usual long, curly locks, but Rose had insisted I pull it up, both highlighting my slender shoulders and showing off every square inch of the dress. Of course Rose had won, and I had to admit she'd been absolutely right. After first being straightened to perfection, my long, dark hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, with every hair expertly slicked back, making it look both modern and edgy.

The whole look pieced together left me feeling overwhelmed and emotional, but the beauty went beyond the magic Rose and Royce had performed on the outside. Something was subtly different about what I could see starting out at me from deep within my soul. There was a glittering optimism in my expression, a sense of freedom and positive uncertainty about where my future could take me. Less than a month before, my life had been mapped out, traveling a very straight and narrow road. I now stood with two of my closest friends and felt as though I'd reached a thousand-tipped fork in my journey, and the choice of how to proceed was entirely mine.

Letting my smiling eyes roam back and forth between my two friends, I silently let them know the extent of my happiness before stepping away from our little embrace and turning to head down the hallway.

I teasingly laughed and looked over my shoulder, stopping as I said, "What the hell are you bitches waiting for?" Snapping my eyes back toward the golden sights and sounds of the main room, I confidently strode the rest of the way into the glamorous nightlife of Volturi.

-NQA-

The three of us immediately set out for the magnificent bar that towered from the middle of the room and pushed our way past crowded groups of businessmen, B-List Celebrities (who I lamely wanted to stop and meet), and hoards of jaw-droppingly beautiful women who looked like they stepped off the pages of Italian Vogue. By the time we reached our destination, Rose had abandoned Jess and me, scampering off to greet an agent friend she'd spotted from across the room.

"Can you believe how totally cool this place is, Bella?" Jess giggled, while reaching over to grab a handful of _Volturi_ embossed napkins off the bar and shove them into her purse. "I mean," she continued, "you didn't tell me about _any_ of this after the Eclipse party. Did you even pay attention while you were here the last time, or were you too busy staring at Edward Masen from across the room to notice?" She chuckled, elbowing me a couple of times in that way people do when telling a really stupid joke. She then turned to ogle a very handsome man I vaguely recognized as some famous athlete I couldn't place.

_God, Jess. If you only knew what really happened that night! I remember details my mind, and maybe party of my heart, won't let me forget. Everything has been etched into the stone wall of my memory, from the cool surface where I rested my hands while waiting for my drink, to the soft leather of the couch where I was laying the first time I saw Edward in person. But most of all, I remember his eyes._

Shifting my body back to face the bar, I noticed the cute bartender I'd spoken to at the Eclipse party standing only a few feet away. "Hey, um, Felix, was it?" I yelled over the noise of the club. I waved him over, eager to order a couple of drinks.

As he walked in my direction, he looked me up and down, creasing his eyebrows together in concentration and then flashed a youthful smile. "Hey, pretty lady! What can I get for you tonight?" he flirted, leaning forward suggestively.

"You don't remember me, do you?" I asked, teasingly. "I was at the Eclipse party a couple months ago with a very loud, bossy blonde."

Standing up straight, he placed his hands squarely on his hips and mockingly studied me again, lifting one eyebrow as if deep in thought. His eyes lit up suddenly as he explained, "Shit! Yes, I remember you. Damn, you look amazing tonight in that dress. Lots better than those tall, rails of so-called women over there." He pointed at the group of Vogue models standing near the front of the club. "Anyway, what can I get for you, beautiful?"

"Jess!" I screamed, startling her out of her starry-eyed frenzy. "What do you want to drink?"

"Um…" She dramatically thought and thought, twisting the ends of her hair around her finger like Alicia Silverstone in the movie _Clueless_. Finally, she answered, "I'll take a sex on the beach."

Rolling my eyes, I turned back to Felix, enjoying my newfound freedom to flirt and said a little sexily, "I'll take a lemon-drop martini and a sex on the beach, please."

Just as Felix was about to open his mouth to respond, the deep voice of a very large man standing next to me chimed in, "The drinks for these two smoking hot chicks are on me!"

"Yes, sir, Mr. McCarthy. I'm right on it…" Felix mumbled, scampering off without another word. As I looked up, I immediately recognized the face smiling down at me. It was a face I'd seen countless times on the covers of magazines and movie posters. A face that'd been on some of my favorite television shows and appeared in a dozen movies. Emmett McCarthy wasn't only one of Hollywood's most popular action stars, but it was universally known he was Edward Masen's best friend.

_Just kill me now. What kind of sick vortex have I fallen into where I keep running into the world's most famous, rich, and gorgeous actors? I've lost my mind. Clearly, he's some figment of my overactive imagination brought on by my meeting Edward._

"Hmmm…shunned silence," Emmett noted with a hint of teasing arrogance. "I get that a lot." He winked charmingly and again flashed his million-dollar smile. Standing at 6'2, Emmett could be described as physically intimidating, with his broad shoulders, dark curly hair, and enigmatic blue eyes.

Without speaking, I nonchalantly glanced over at Jess, discovering she too wasn't dealing with our hot intruder with any more dignity or grace. Her face seemed to have been drained of its natural color and replaced with a bright shade of red. Standing there, equally frozen, her mouth hung open and her eyes had grown to the size of saucers as she gaped at him speechless, in utter disbelief.

_At least I'm not the only one who acts like a complete moron in the presence of celebrities._

Turning my attention back to Emmett, I asked the only question that came to mind. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Getting rejected, apparently!" he replied without missing a beat, causing Jess to produce a bizarre giggle/cry sound from the depths of her throat.

The clanging sound of our drinks being placed on the bar by Felix brought my focus back to the forefront of my very frazzled mind. Picking up the martini, I slowly sipped, enjoying the tart flavor as it burned its way down my throat. As I began to take a second sip, I was slammed with the memory of Edward's tweet from earlier that day.

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): Hitting the clubs again 1 Sept

tonight with my bro. The party never stops. Emmett McCarthy

Slamming my drink down, I frantically and passionately faced Emmett, shouting, "Oh, God! I mean, no, um…what are you doing _here_?" I sensed his confusion and waved my arm, pointing around the club. "Your twitter didn't say _anything_ about you being in Chicago, let alone Volturi tonight!"

_Shit! Is Edward here? Shit! I'm going to have a stroke. Shit! Am I really yelling at Emmett McCarty? Shit! Do I want Edward to be here? Shit, Shit, Shit! Dammit, Jess, say something! Since when are you fucking speechless?_

"Well, Miss-I-believe-everything-I-read-on-the-internet. I'm pretty damn sure I mentioned hitting the clubs tonight. So, technically, I'm not a liar, just elusive." He smirked and took a huge drink of his Heineken. "Listen," he continued, turning to look at Jess then back to me. "I'm gonna head upstairs to the VIP dance floor and get my party on, so if you ladies manage to get over the shock and awe of meeting yours truly, head on up. I'll tell the bouncer to let you in."

"VIP?" Jess snapped, her voice practically interrupting Emmett's invitation, as the magic word seemed to pull her back to reality. "I want to go with Emmett, Bella," she insisted almost robotically, never allowing her eyes to leave his charming face.

"Right on, girly girl!" Emmett beamed, while leaning past me to grab Jess's untouched drink off the bar. "As for you, _Sparkles_, you come on up whenever you're ready to dance that sweet ass off."

_Did he just call me Sparkles? Emmett McCarthy has given me a nickname?_

After quickly finishing off his beer and tossing the empty bottle at Felix, Emmett made his way around to Jess, offering her his magnificently muscled arm as he ushered her away from the crowded bar.

_Did he say there was a dance floor upstairs? I didn't even know there was an upstairs._

Turning my confused eyes toward the bar, I picked up my martini and took a calming drink, locking my eyes on an intently watching Felix.

"There are two dance floors," he said with a smirk. "The one on this level," he paused, pointing towards the far wall, "is open to all our guests." My eyes followed the line of his arm, discovering a drastic change from the closed-off wall of intimate alcoves I'd remembered from my previous visit. Gone were the beautiful sofas and chairs that'd paralleled the style and layout of the left side of the room. Having been stowed away, the absent furniture cleared the way for a half dozen large mahogany pocket doors to be pushed aside, revealing the hidden dance floor.

"You probably didn't notice it the last time," Felix explained. "The doors stay closed during private functions. Aro doesn't like the sound of the DJs interfering with the month hungry donors." He smiled, and I took another sip of my martini, enjoying the slow burn developing deep in my belly.

Beginning to relax, I quickly scanned the room and asked, "What about the other one? You said there are two."

"Yeah, the other is upstairs." He sneered slightly, shaking his head as he explained. "It's strictly VIP, mostly A-Listers and Aro's personal guests, like that McCarthy guy." He rolled his eyes, clearly not a fan of Emmett's over-the-top charms. "It's much smaller that the floor down here, but from what I've heard, anything goes."

"How do you get up there?" I asked innocently, leaning forward, as though Felix and I were sharing a secret. "In case I need to go rescue my friend, Jess.

"There's a VIP entrance off the far wall behind you." He nodded his head in the direction we'd entered from. "Down that hallway are the VIP bathrooms and another door that leads upstairs."

Straightening my dress, I stood completely, grabbing my drink in one hand and throwing my purse over my shoulder. I gave Felix a small smile before turning in the direction he'd indicated with his nod. As I traveled across the room, sipping my drink, I slowly began to take it all in.

_Is this seriously my life? I'm at Volturi, wearing a ridiculously expensive dress, drinking an equally expensive martini, and I've been invited to join one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People on the "anything goes" VIP dance floor._

_What…the…fuck?!_

As I entered the hallway that lead back to the private entrance, I once again thought of Edward's tweet. Part of me wished that Emmett's presence meant that Edward had somehow decided to come out tonight, that he'd magically be here, waiting for me like the romantic hero I'd hoped me was. As unrealistic as it would be, I foolishly imagined pushing open the door and heading up the stairs, only to find his handsome form eagerly waiting to greet me at the top.

In reality it made more sense to believe Edward's message was another fascade, a mask to hid behind, and in fact, Emmett was in on it. Not only would he allow his friend to hide behind his active social life, but he'd encourage it, because even an imaginary friendship with Edward Masen had power in Hollywood.

Pushing open the door to the private bathroom, I walked inside and placed my drink down on the shiny black granite countertop, anxious to check my hair and makeup before I headed upstairs. Just as I slid my purse down the length of my arm, my phone buzzed and I sighed, suspecting that it was yet another text from Jake.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I angrily demanded, sliding my finger across the screen, intending to tell him to leave me alone.

As I scrolled through the list of missed messages, five of which were from Jake, I noticed the newest message was from an unknown number. Wanting to avoid Jake's, "We need to talk," bullshit, I curiously clicked the mystery text.

I felt my knees buckle, and I momentarily thought I might lose control of my bladder as I read the words, and gasped.

Sept 1, 2012 10:32 PM

_Meet me in our VIP room…_

_You look beautiful tonight. –E_

_-NQA-_

Flattery won't get you anywhere, Mr. Masen," I said as I stood nervously in the entrance to the main floor VIP room of Volturi, leaning my shoulder onto the open frame. Playing it cool, I fiercely locked away my raging nerves intent on using the opportunity to get answers from the mysterious man who'd literally haunted my thoughts, both conscious and dreamlike, for over two months.

Sitting across the room from me, he was lounging casually in one of the red velvet grandfather's chairs. His body was angled perfectly facing the door, as if he anticipated watching me walk into the room. His stare was intense, cutting through the sparkling layers of my dress, leaving me to feel naked and exposed. It reminded me of the uncomfortable way he'd looked at me the last time we'd met in this very room, and these were feelings I didn't intend to relive.

Refusing to allow his unyielding stare to consume me, I leisurely waved my phone from side to side, silently gesturing that his charms wouldn't work on me. Exhaling slightly, I stepped the rest of the way into the room to narrow a bit of the distance between us. Edward's expression was unreadable, but I couldn't help but notice the way the edge of his mouth twitched at the boldness of my entrance.

"You know," I complained, speaking loudly enough to mask the shaking quality of my voice, "You didn't even say please when you ordered me in here like I'm one of your many pathetic lovesick fans."

_Who are you kidding, Bella? You're the founder of the lovesick fangirl club._

The smallest of smiles flashed across his otherwise stern face, and as I let my eyes wander over the rest of his body, I noticed the odd way his hands were tightly gripping the armrests of the chair. Wearing dark denim jeans and a beautifully tailored black jacket over a simple plain cotton v-neck tshirt, he sat there holding himself back, as if trying not to fly across the room. When he finally spoke, his voice was softer than I expected, matching the tone I'd remembered from parts of our conversation at the theater.

"Can we please just talk, Bella? Without the arguing and snark that was plagued our other two unfortunate conversations?" He gestured towards the sofa next to him, essentially telling me to sit down. "I promise I won't keep you long, and then you can return to your friends and enjoy the rest of the evening."

_Unfortunate conversations? Why unfortunate? _

I stood my ground, refusing to hand over the power he so clearly wanted.

"Ok, look." I paused, collecting my thoughts so I was sure to say everything that needed to be said. "I think this was a mistake, me coming in here. I honestly don't know what your game is, but I'm pretty sure I don't want in." As I spoke, he leaned forward in his seat, listening to my every word.

"Ever since I first saw your face in _Afterglow_, I'd dreamed about meeting you, and now that I have, this bizarre obsession I have with figuring you out has only gotten worse. I practically don't function on a daily basis, and at work I spend my days checking your damn Twitter every five minutes or scouring the internet for any mentions of your name. I'm surprised I haven't been fired by now to tell you the truth."

Nervously, I ran the palms of my shaking hands over the smooth surface of my head, then encircled my ponytail and slowly let my hand travel down the length of the locks straight tips, all the while not failing to notice the way his eyes followed each minute movement.

"Bella, I…"

"No, Edward! I need to say this, so please don't interrupt me or I'll never be able to get it out." Trying to focus again, I looked at his face and found his expression highly unnerving and distracting. "See, the truth is, I'd been engaged for nearly five years up until just a few weeks ago when I found out my fiancé, Jake, had been cheating on me, screwing our co-worker…look!" I yelled, holding up my left hand. "I'm still wearing the goddamn ring, and I'm not sure why I haven't taken it off. Habit, maybe? Confusion?"

I laughed at myself, at the completely unbelievable joke my life had turned into during the past couple weeks.

"So, you're probably sitting there, wondering why I'm telling you all of this. Telling you about my very average problems that don't even register on your otherworldly Hollywood lifestyle. Well, what's _really_ bothering me, plaguing my conscience actually, is when I found out about Jake, I felt relieved…_relieved_!" Exasperated, I sighed, studying his face that appeared to be a mixture of intrigue and some emotion I couldn't place.

"Edward, ever sense you reached out and touched me at that movie, I've thought of practically nothing else, and when I'd discovered what Jake had done I couldn't help but feel as if I'd been freed. Freed from the guilt I've carried around for the last month for shoving my very real fiancé aside and replacing him with a complete fantasy.

Edward returned back to his original position in the chair, and I could feel the tension rolling off his body. "I know it's silly and foolish, but you've managed to deeply effect me in some way I don't understand. So, as I said before, I'm not sure what game you're attempting to play with me, but I'm not interested in being your casual plaything. Please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think I can afford to spend another second with you."

Painfully, I turned, determined to hold on to whatever sliver of pride I had left, and I began to walk towards the door.

**Hmmmm….will he let her walk out? We shall see. **

**Getting more than 200 reviews would make my day. We are SO close! Again….head over to The . And vote if you can. Thanks again for the nomination whoever you are!**


	9. Chapter 8: Beginnings

**WOW! What an awesome week I just had. That was the most reviews I've ever received for one chapter. Seriously! Thanks so much. Makes a girl's day to read those. So THANK YOU ALL! **

**Thanks to jcat5507 for being my lovely beta. She helps when I "sneeze commas" all over my writing. Thanks hun!**

**I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Tons of yummy Edward awaits. You might even get a few answers from my hot man of mystery, but a lot more questions will pop up as well.**

CHAPTER 8-BEGINNINGS

"Wait, Bella!" Edward whispered, although his voice had taken on an almost desperate tone. "I'm not trying to play any sort of game with you."

He paused, and I took the opportunity to glance over my shoulder and look at him. His beautiful eyes were turned upward, staring at an empty space in the ceiling, and what surprised me was the fact he looked genuinely frustrated, almost pained, as if it physically hurt him to see me go.

After the briefest of hesitations, I shifted around and slowly walked over to stand directly in front of him and waited for him to continue, feeling as though I'd already laid all my cards out on the table.

"Bella," he sighed, still looking upward. "You have to try to understand what it's like being me for a second, ok?" His eyes traveled down and stopped the second they locked with mine, as if asking for permission to proceed. "Every day I walk around being wined and dined, pulled here and there by people who, more often than not, are telling me exactly what they think I want to hear. Now I'm not going to try to sit here and give you the 'I'm a celebrity victim' speech. That's bullshit, and I completely understood what I was getting myself into when I signed my contract for _Afterglow_ seven years ago."

Again, he gestured for me to sit down next to him, this time begging with his sad eyes to be given the opportunity to explain himself. Without thinking, I settled my body onto the soft leather of the couch, returning his stare in silent permission to continue.

"I'm an incredibly private person," he explained, reaching forward to slowly offer me his upturned hand. I looked down, studying the flawless masculine skin and thought about what it would feel like to have his long fingers interlocked with my own. Bravely, I extended my arm and gently laid my small palm into his, feeling the powerful current of heat flare between our bodies as he wrapped his fingers around my own. His skin was softer than I'd expected it to be, as if those around him had constantly pampered and moisturized him to perfect his overt beauty. Despite the care, his hands still managed to maintain an essence of masculinity I couldn't quite place. They felt strong and powerful, and as I trailed my thumb across the course hairs sprinkled lightly on his skin, I couldn't ignore how perfectly we fit together, as though my hand had been molded to fit in his.

After struggling to find the courage, I returned my gaze to Edward's and discovered his face too looked flushed, and his eyes had taken on a completely different emotion. The sad, haunted eyes I had grown to expect had been replaced by undiluted passion and want. "Bella…" he said hoarsely, "I have a terrible habit of not letting people get close to me, but for some reason…I _want_ you to know me." He squeezed my hand slightly and allowed his thumb to graze across the soft fresh of my wrist, then continued, "Edward Masen, the movie star, the man you claim to have spent days pining over? He doesn't exist. He's a character, a joke."

He suddenly cut himself off, and we sat there in silence, our bodies joined in a heated, yet innocent embrace. Unable to take the tension for more than a few seconds, I quietly spoke, barely able to project my voice above a whisper. "I'm not sure what you mean when you say that fantastic man doesn't exist, but, Edward, I'm here and I want more than anything to know more about you."

His visibly relaxed at my words, giving me the courage to continue, "But you're gonna have to give me some answers if I'm going to put my heart on the line here. You can't keep disappearing or retreating inside that empty exterior."

Straightening, he severed our connection as he stood abruptly and walked over to grab his partly finished drink off the bar. I couldn't resist the temptation his standing there presented, allowing my eyes to graze over the lines of his body. His back was straight and broad, and even through the thick layers of his jacket, I could faintly detect the rolling contours of his muscled flesh. Hanging perfectly from his narrow waist, his jeans showed off perhaps the most perfect ass I'd ever seen.

_Shit, Bella! Now is so not the time to be undressing the poor man with your eyes_.

After downing the remainder of his drink, he turned around and leaned back, resting his elbows against the empty VIP bar. "I'm sorry about your fiancé," he said sincerely, making sure to stare straight into my eyes while he spoke. "I don't have experience with that kind of long-term relationship, but what you've gone through must be terribly painful."

"Why not?" I asked, smiling up at him, resisting the urge to roll my eyes at his heartfelt mention of Jake.

"Huh?" he said, clearly not understanding my question. "Why not what?"

I chuckled, while kicking off my heels so I could comfortably tuck my legs up underneath me. Casually resting my right arm up on the back of the sofa, I clarified, "Why haven't you ever had a long-term relationship? I mean, surely you've had girlfriends at least." I stopped, unsure if I wanted an answer to the third part of my question. "What about Tanya Denali?"

At the mention of Tanya's name, he stood, bringing his elbows up off the bar and proceeded to stuff his hands into the front pockets of his pants, striking the same pose I'd noticed countless times during my obsessive photo hoarding.

"See?!" I shouted, surprising even myself with the boldness of my words. "What's up with that?" I said as I sat up on my knees and waved my arm around, pointing at his current posture.

"What's up with what?" he asked, sounding slightly amused.

"That pose! The whole hands in your pockets, lean to the side thing. You seriously do it all the time." I laughed, looking at the puzzled expression on his perfect face.

_Am I seriously teasing Edward Masen about the way he stands right now? Can someone, anyone tell me if this is really happening?_

"I didn't realize I was doing it," he said, then straightened, awkwardly changing his pose. "You're a very observant person, Bella. Should I be worried?"

Reaching up to run a hand through his already magnificently disheveled hair, he then calmly walked over and eased himself onto the sofa next to me, throwing his arm on the back so our fingers nearly touched.

"Okay," he said. "Let's make a deal. I've told you I'm a very private person, and I mean that. It's painfully hard for me to open up to anyone." As he spoke, his eyes took on a pained quality, as if he was remembering something he wanted to forget. "How about I answer the questions you've asked, if you agree to answer a few of mine?" He smiled then, so charmingly that he revealed his nearly flawless teeth.

_What could he possibly want to know about me? This is all so completely, ridiculously baffling._

"That sounds good." I agreed, sitting up straighter as I waited for him to start.

"Well," he began, "to answer your first question, I've never had a long-term relationship because I don't like opening up to people."

"You already told me that." I whined, annoyed by his evasiveness. "Okay, so _why_ don't you like opening up to people?"

"That wasn't one of your original questions, Bella. And I don't feel comfortable answering that right now," he answered quietly, but firmly. "Let's move on."

"Okay…" I said, slightly frustrated. "Your turn."

He thought for a moment, and then asked, "What brought you to Chicago, or are you a native?"

"Originally…for my career," I replied vaguely, intentionally giving him as little information as possible.

"Originally?" he said curiously. "What's changed?"

"I don't feel comfortable answering that right now, Mr. Masen," I teased, causing him to laugh, and for the first time I saw genuine, unguarded happiness in his eyes.

"Touché, Miss Swan, touché."

"How do you know my last name?" I asked, reaching over to flirtatiously nudge his shoulder.

"The same way I knew your cell phone number, Bella. You know, you really shouldn't leave your personal belongings lying around on the floors of movie theatres. You never know what kinds of creepers might want to steal a pretty girl's information and start stalking her."

I stared at him, completely stunned by the smirk on his face and the information he'd just delivered. Edward had picked up my phone, I'd known that, but to know that he'd managed to gather intel on me, and care enough to actually want to, made me feel special.

"Yes, I've had girlfriends, but nothing serious," he blurted quickly, answering my second question from before and turning the focus back to me. "So, Bella, what are your goals? What do you want to do with your life?"

"Is that seriously your question?" I asked a little mockingly. "Isn't that a bit deep and profound coming from the man who's so closed off himself?"

"It's my question, Bella," he said, leaning forward to slowly tuck a few wispy hairs behind my ear. He hovered only inches from my face, his breath mixing with my own as he sexily murmured, "You know Bella, you don't _have _to answer it, if you don't want to, but then, I guess I will have no choice but to not answer yours."

_What would I do if he tried to kiss me? Am I prepared to kiss another man, let alone kiss a man like Edward?_

"Oh, so you're threatening me now. Are you?" I whispered, letting my eyes travel down to temporarily stare at his lips. Involuntarily my mouth fell open as I inhaled deeply, tasting Edward's breath floating in the narrow space between us. Feeling dizzy from the frantic pounding of my heart, I rocked back slightly, distancing myself from his overwhelming sensuality and searching for much needed clarity.

"All right," I relented, arching an eyebrow as I reached forward and gently nudged him backward. When he didn't move, I pushed again, laughing nervously at our heated proximity. He was just too close, and although I enjoyed the feelings his nearness brought out of me, I didn't know how to deal with the tantalizing and complicated man breathing so close to my neck.

"Edward?" I asked, curious to know what he was thinking. Instead of answering, he brought up his right arm and gently surrounded my wrist with the fingers of his hand. He intensely stared at me for a moment, and I could tell he was thinking, possibly deciding, what he wanted to do. Suddenly, he shook his head, releasing my hand and reclining back into his original position all within one fluid movement.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me."

I shrugged, feeling my face turning a warm shade of crimson. "So," I said, desperate to lighten the mood and bring us back to the teasing round of questioning from before. "I've always wanted to be involved in publishing somehow. You know, maybe write for a magazine or possibly become an editor for a small publishing house somewhere." Stopping to look at him and gauge his still serious expression, I found everything about him to impossible to read. "You asked for my goals, and that's what they've been since high school."

"And you haven't reached your goals?"

"Not working in the HR department of Eclipse, no I haven't." My voice sounded bitter and I again found myself rolling my eyes at the lameness of my life. He sat there for a bit, thinking about what I assumed was my very boring answer to his question.

"Tanya Denali is a publicity stunt," he blurted, "as are most of my very public relationships."

Just like that, so quickly and unexpectedly, he dropped a literal Edward Masen bomb of information in my lap that was both personal and highly revealing.

_Publicity stunts? All of them? He has trouble opening up to people _and_ all of his relationships are just as fabricated as the characters he plays on screen? Edward, why?_

"I don't know how to respond to that, Edward." I said, honestly.

He chuckled slightly, and I could tell it wasn't at me, but more so at the irony of his own personal revelation. "You don't have to," he replied, picking up the arm that'd been resting on the couch to rub the flesh on the back of his neck.

_I could do that for you if you like._

He continued with a trace of sadness in his voice, "I am who I am, Bella. Forming relationships is a hard thing for me to do. I'm just being honest…but enough about my flaws. Let's get back to you." Allowing the change in subject to bring lightness back to his eyes, he added, "Did you love your fiancé?"

The question surprised me, not that it was anymore personal than me asking him about Tanya, but I was taken aback that he even cared to know about my feelings for Jake.

"Yes, I think I did…once."

I leaned over and rested my chin in the palm my right hand. "I know you can't relate, but this is actually something I've spent a lot of time thinking about the past few weeks. Losing someone makes you reevaluate your relationship with that person, and the more I think about Jake, the more I realize how broken we were."

Edward studied me, looking deep into my eyes without judgment or animosity, and quietly interrupted, "I may not know what it's like to be in a committed relationship, but I do know what it feels like to lose someone."

Thinking of every interview, article, and blog I'd ever read, I realized how little I knew about his mysterious personal life. "You never talk about your family," I noted, trying to sound as casual as physically possible when sharing a couch with the sexiest man alive. "I honestly don't think I've ever heard you mention them."

He stiffened, and I could see the muscles of his neck tighten before he stood and walked back over to the bar. Reaching his long arm over the counter, he grabbed a bottle of Macallan scotch and proceeded to refill his empty glass. Without turning to look at me, he asked, "You want some?"

"Sure," I answered, hopeful this behavior didn't mean I'd overstepped and forced him to emotionally flee.

Again, he reached over the bar, stretching out his long body to grab another glass, and in doing so, inadvertently exposed the skin of his lower back.

_Oh. My. God! He's wearing Calvin Klein underwear! Of course he's wearing Calvin's. Why wouldn't he? He's in their damn ad, which just happens to be the wallpaper on my damn phone. Shit! My phone! He had my phone. Please, God, just take me now!_

After filling the second glass, he turned and walked back over, handing me one of the glasses, before he settled back down onto the cool leather of the sofa.

"I have no family. That's why you've never heard me talk about them." His words sounded concise, and well thought-out.

"Where are they? What happened to them?"

"My parents died in a fire when I was fifteen. Simple as that." Shaking his head in disbelief, he laughed. "Listen, Bella. This is a subject I don't talk about with anyone...let alone a woman who's told me she spends a healthy amount of her time stalking me on the internet. I'm honestly surprised with myself right now for telling you what I have, but please, let's move on to lighter topics."

Reaching over, he grabbed my hand, this time without asking, and before I knew it, I was being pulled to my feet. "We'd better head upstairs before your friend, Jess, decides to have Emmett's babies," he joked. "He has that effect on women."

_Um, so do you._

"Did you send Emmett over to the bar after me earlier?" I asked, blushing as I thought about what it would be like to make babies with Edward.

Rather than answering, he smiled his sexiest lopsided smile and reached down to pick up my shoes from the floor. "I seem to have gotten in the habit of picking up your discarded belongings off the floor, Miss Swan," he teased and offered his arm to lead me toward the door.

**So…..you are probably wondering if we'll get to spend the rest of the evening with these two. Don't worry. Next chapter will pick up right where this one left off. More fun at Volturi to come. Any predictions on how the rest of the night will go? I would LOVE to hear them.**


	10. Chapter 9: Beginnings Continued

**Well….finally another update is here. And we are picking up right where we left off at the end of that last chapter. I promised our evening with these two wasn't over so quickly.**

**Thanks so much to jcat5507 for being my lovely beta. She is awesome and probably thinks I am completely insane. NO DOUBT!**

_Rather than answering, he smiled his sexiest lopsided smile and reached down to pick up my shoes from the floor. "I seem to have gotten in the habit of picking up your discarded belongings off the floor, Miss Swan," he teased and offered his arm to lead me toward the door._

CHAPTER 9

The moment we stepped through the huge double mahogany doors at the top of the stairs, Edward and I were bombarded by two of our closest friends, each with a very different agenda.

"Bro, it's about time you showed up! I thought about sending out a search party, but normally I can find you by following the sounds of screaming fangirls," Emmett greeted, laughing at his own adorable, and admittedly true, joke. "I see you convinced Sparkles to join you. Hey, Sparkles, still looking hot, I see," he said, and turned to look at me. "I was beginning to wonder if all that hype about the hotness of Mr. Sex-God Masen was just a bunch of bull."

Bouncing around like an eight-year-old on Christmas morning, Emmett playfully slugged Edward a couple of times on the shoulder before relaxing and stepping aside of let a very angry and vicious-looking Rose approach. He laughed at her attempt to physically push by him, causing Rose's head to snap sharply, as she glared into his eyes. Instead of wilting under her domineering attitude, which was the normal behavior of a man in his shoes, Emmett winked and flashed her a devilish grin.

"I gotta warn you two," he chuckled, looking over at Edward and me, "Killer here, she was ready to turn the club upside down looking for you. I tried to tell her that Sparkles was in good hands with my bro, Masen, but damn, she wouldn't listen."

He turned to leave, heading in the direction of the dance floor, but stopped to whisper into Rose's ear, "I'll save you a dance, blondie."

"I'd rather be caught wearing a polyester pant suit from Walmart," she hissed, causing the biggest grin to spread across his handsome face.

"You're a feisty one, I'll give you that," he said, then quickly gave her a solid smack on the ass. Before Rose had time to react, he was gone, leaving us to face her alone and unprotected.

I understood why she was pissed. For all she knew, the last, and only time I'd seen Edward had been at the Eclipse party. Not only had I made her feel terrible about sending him in after me, but I'd kept my movie theater meeting a secret.

Leaning down toward my ear, Edward whispered, "I'm gonna leave you two alone. When you're done, come find me, I'll be around," and just like that, he pulled away and disappeared into the dark dance floor.

"Will you please explain what the fuck is going on, B? No, wait! Don't! Let me first tell you what I've had the pleasure of doing the past hour, okay?" She looked and sounded positively livid, but I could have sworn I noticed faint traces of amusement occasionally pulling at the corners of her mouth. "First of all," she continued, "it took me a good twenty minutes to track down Jess. Wanna take a guess where I found her? Throwing up all over my fucking Stella McCartney dress in the bathroom. Yep! Fucking fabulous." She laughed sarcastically and ran her fingers through the long curls of her hair. "So, after I got her pathetic ass into a cab, it dawned on me that you too had miraculously vanished, so once again I was on the search like some complete loon. That's when I ran into that disgusting, brainless, and embarrassing excuse of a man, and when he told me you were with Edward, I practically shit. I mean, B! From what you told me about the last time you saw him…"

"That's not the last time I saw him, Rose," I interrupted a bit sheepishly, knowing how hurt she was going to be. Reaching over, I gently cupped my hand under her elbow and guided her over to a private sitting area to the side of the dance floor, where the two of use squeezed onto a couch already occupied by a very attractive couple.

"Would the two of you mind terribly if I asked you to give us some fucking privacy?" Rose boldly spit at them and then snapped her attention immediately back to me.

"I honestly don't want to get into all the details here, Rose," I groaned and crossed my legs, realizing I was still missing my shoes. "I ran into Edward a few days after the Eclipse party and he kind of apologized…I don't know. It was all very strange. Anyway, after he saw me here tonight, we talked, and I'm beginning to think he's sincerely interested in getting to know me."

"Oh, come on, Bella! You can't be serious! Rose shouted, exasperated at my apparent stupidity. "You have blinders on for this guy; which I can't entirely blame you for. Hell, I've enjoyed my fair share of Edward Masen vibrator time, but you're gonna get hurt physically _and_ emotionally if you let this guy use you."

"I'm not going to sit here and listen to this, Rose! I yelled back, making her flinch in a way I'd rarely seen. "If that were the case…if I were some naïve lovesick fan, I would've sucked his dick when he'd offered two months ago. I don't understand why he acted that way when we met, and right now, I don't care. The man I talked to tonight was shy and funny, and _Edward Masen_. I have a feeling there were greater reasons for his behavior than I can begin to understand, and you're right, I might get hurt, but dammit, Rose, I haven't been free to take a risk for as long as I can remember. I was tied to Jake for over ten years. Ten years! And look where it got me. So, please, can we just agree to disagree and enjoy the rest of the night?" I sighed, feeling proud of myself for being honest and standing up to my best friend.

"Fuck!" She exhaled and stared at me for what seemed like minutes. "Fine, but the only reason I'm not bitch-slapping the snot out of you right now is because you look so fucking hot." She leaned over and wrapped her bronzed arms around me, pulling my body into a genuine hug. "Just promise me that you make that gorgeous man go down on you before you suck him off, okay?"

"Rose!"

She pulled away and smiled at me wickedly. "Don't you even try to sit there and pretend those thoughts never crossed your mind. You may have only had sex with 'The Small-Dicked Douche,' but I've seen that kinky shit you read."

I laughed and realized that no matter what, Rose would support me. Curious to know the time, I opened my purse and grabbed my phone, praying that time had stopped and I had countless hours to spend with Edward. When I slid my finger across the screen, I noticed I had a new text message from the same unknown number.

_What will I do if Edward tells me he had to leave? What if I never see him again? What if tonight was some random fluke?_

Sept 1, 2012 11:54 PM

_Check twitter._

"What are you smiling at?" Rose nosily asked from over my shoulder, and without responding, I anxiously tapped on the app. His profile instantly appeared and I quickly refreshed the screen.

**TheRealEdwardMasen**(Edward Masen): Still partying it up 1 Sept

Chicago style with my Bro, so much so it's sparkling in here and

I feel like I might go blind. #kickassnight

"Rose," I said, tugging her over to look at the screen. "I think he just tweeted about me." My hand was slightly shaking as I held the phone, and without thinking, I saved a screenshot and smiled goofily up at my friend.

"It's gonna be like this, isn't it?" She asked, taking my phone from my frozen hand and tucking it back into my purse.

"Well, since you're clearly a lost cause, let's go find your knight in gorgeous armor."

The second story VIP floor of Volturi was much smaller than the club's main level, but for what it lacked in size, it made up for in opulence. Similar to the flow downstairs, the space was entirely open, consisting of an intimate and crowded dance floor in the center of the room, and a bar that ran along the back wall. Two alcoves sat in each of the front two corners, providing plush seating and privacy for the important guests. The right wall housed the DJ booth and more lights and entertainment equipment than I knew existed, while the left wall was left bare, made up of floor to ceiling lead glass windows.

When I finally found Edward again, he was standing by the bar with Emmett watching me intensely as I made my way over to him across the crowded dance floor. I couldn't help but feel self-conscious, because not only were I in a room with some of the world's most beautiful people, but being the object of Edward Masen's attention was drawing an overwhelming amount of whispers and stares.

There couldn't have been more than fifty feet between us, but with each step I took, two more were needed to bridge the space, making the journey feel never-ending. Beautiful women judged me with their eyes, and handsome men suddenly seemed to noticed I exist.

Edward's stance was fierce as I approached and his eyes were guiding mine, leading me straight to him. His hands were in fists at his sides and his eyebrows were drawn together in a look of worry as if he thought there was a chance I would turn around and flee.

When I reached them, Emmett laughed and gave Edward a teasing shove, forcing a smile to spread across his stern face.

"Geez, dude. Relax," Emmett joked. "You looked like you were about to charge across the room and flipping eat her or something, man." Pulling me into a one-armed embrace, he then reached up and roughly jostled Edward's hair, rearranging the already tangled mess of beautiful locks. "But, seriously, man," he continued, "I'm happy to see you interested in Sparkles, here. I swear I've never heard you talk about a woman this much in the ten years we've been friends."

"Emmett, isn't there a line of girls somewhere around here waiting in hopes of you feeling them up?" Edward broke in a bit coolly, and I could tell that Emmett's revealing comments had made him uncomfortable.

"Sure thing, bro." Emmett gave my shoulder a squeeze and then spoke quietly into my ear so only I could hear, "Edward is a great guy, Bella. He can be moody as shit sometimes, but he's the real deal." He lowered his arm to grab my hand and quickly bent down to give it a playful peck. Before Edward had a chance to protest, he twirled me around and handed me off to his best friend then hastily disappeared into the watching crowd.

"Sorry about Emmett," Edward said almost seductively, as a wonderful half-smile eased its way onto the right side of his face. Looking down at our newly joined hands, he shook his head and then slowly released his grip. "We've known each other a long time, and he has a tendency to overreact when I break my routines."

I just looked at him, memorizing the flawless lines of his face, and I couldn't believe everything that was happening. It was overwhelming enough to think about spending an evening with Edward Masen, the movie star, but when I pieced together the fact that Emmett said he'd been talking about me and I was causing him to "break his routine," whatever that meant, it was damn near unimaginable that it wasn't all a dream.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked, while waving over a cute blonde bartender named Jane. As he sat down on one of the bar's elaborate solid glass stools, I couldn't resist watching the way everyone around us was mesmerized by him despite the multitude of famous faces sprinkled around the room. He was magically magnetic, drawing more attention with every graceful movement, but at the same time, he seemed completely oblivious to the powerful force that attracted people to him like a moth to a flame.

I inhaled a deep, steadying breath and settled onto the stool to his left. "A drink would be great," I answered, feeling vaguely awestruck. "Just surprise me. What would the _real_ Edward Masen order for a lady?" I smiled at him warmly, silently letting him know that I trusted him and I wanted him to take the lead. As I swung my legs around to face the bar, my knee gazed the rough denim covering his very muscular thigh, sending a rippling heat to my very core.

The noise of the crowded bar completely muffled Edward's voice as he ordered our drinks, and as I watched the bartender's failed attempts at flirting, I felt powerful and almost as special as him. Abruptly, as if to purposefully bring me back down to earth, the sound of Rose's voice penetrated the crowd.

"Hey, B!"she shouted, while slamming an empty glass on the surface of the bar. "I don't mean to interrupt you and Sexy Masen, but I think I'm gonna take off."

"What? Why? Rose! You've been looking forward to this for weeks."

"Fucking Jess just called me," she huffed, while tugging on the top of her dress to cover her spilling cleavage. "She was crying and shit and said she thought she was going to die. How she managed to get that sick in thirty minutes is beyond me, but I blame that complete ass, McCarthy."

Having overheard Rose's slightly drunken rambling, Edward leaned forward, bracing his arm on the bar next to me. He was so close that the fabric of his t-shirt rubbed against the jagged sequins of my dress, as he offered, "Do you need me to drive you? I have a driver around back who can take you wherever you need to go."

"No!" Rose and I said in unison, and I grinned, nudging her shoulder with my own in appreciation.

"No, that's okay. I'll just get a cab. You guys enjoy your night. Don't think twice about it." She leaned in close and whispered, "Go get 'em. I expect a full report tomorrow."

"Thanks, Rose" I breathed as I gave her a hug, thanking her for this amazing night. I felt as though I'd stepped into a dream when I entered the doors of Volturi tonight, and without her pushing me for a girl's night out, I would've never imagined I would be spending an evening with Edward.

Rose broke our hug and looked over at Edward, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll take good care of her, Rose," Edward stated, answering her silent question.

"Remember, with details!" she shouted as she pushed her way through the crowded mass of people, demanding they move as she made her way to the exit.

"So… it's just the two of us." I nervously turned to face Edward, allowing my eyes to bravely settle upon his curious stare. As I reached for my drink that was sitting untouched on the bar, I couldn't help but notice the way his leg was bouncing slightly under the bar. _Could he actually be as nervous as I am? That's ridiculous! _I took a healthy sip, hoping for some liquid courage, and as the dark amber liquid burned my throat on its way down, I let the warmth radiate throughout my body and repress the feelings of unease.

"It would appear that way," he murmured, no longer looking at me, but staring down at his drink instead.

"Huh? What appears what way?" I asked awkwardly, lost in my disconnected train wreck of thoughts.

He grinned his typical sexy, sideways grin. "We're alone, Bella. It's just the two of us. I was answering your observation from before." Before I had time to register what an idiot I was being, he reached over and took the tumbler glass out of my hand and placed it back on the bar counter. "I'm glad we're alone, cause there's something I've been dying to do all night."

Without hesitating, he leaned over and gently pressed his lips against mine and reached up to place his left hand softly against the side of my face. The gesture was so sudden that it took me by surprise, and for countless moments, I sat there stiffly as my brain processed what was happening.

Fire burned in my chest and my body felt as if it might explode from the shock. We were both frozen, and I could tell he was gauging my reaction, waiting to see if I would push him away or allow this next step. Although we were only connected by our lips and his hand on my face, it was clear that he too was trembling. For some unfathomable reason, Edward Masen was scared I was going to reject him or push him away.

_Do I want this? Am I ready to take this step, and take it with someone as risky as Edward?_

Shaking from nerves and excitement, I opened my eyes and reached over to lightly place my hand on his thigh, urging him to continue. At my touch, his body visibly relaxed, and the kiss intensified, and he began to move his lips against mine. We became frantic, allowing our lips to heal the tension that had lived between us since our first meeting. He pulled my upper lip between his own, sucking and nipping at the tender skin and I couldn't help but moan at the feeling of him. Leaning closer, I let my arm travel up his body, gently sliding my fingers across the soft cotton of his t-shirt while our lips never stopped their rhythmic explorations. My hand slowly found the base of his neck and I let my fingers play with the soft pieces of hair that hovered just above the back of his jacket's collar. Unable to resist, I parted my lips and tenderly allowed my tongue to taste the soft flesh of his lip. He instantly froze.

_Shit! No! Please don't stop. What did I do? _

He pulled away from he and I waited for the look of hurt or shock I was certain was soon to follow. Instead, he looked deeply into my eyes, searching for something I couldn't begin to understand. He smiled slightly and hoarsely whispered, "What are you doing to me?" My breathing was erratic and I couldn't even begin to formulate thought, let alone try to understand his question. Shoving his stool backward, he quickly stood and stepped between my legs. He tilted my face up to look at him, and it took everything in my power not to look away in embarrassment. Slowly, he brushed a stray hair away from my face and then just as unexpectedly as before, crushed his lips against mine, kissing me with more passion than I had ever experienced.

We were lost in a frenzy of lips, hands, tongues, and heat for longer than I cared to worry about. Then suddenly, he pulled away, severing the perfect connection.

I shivered and looked at him, enjoying the slightly sheepish smile that spread across his face. He let his eyes drift from mine over to the crowed dance floor. The music and atmosphere of the room had suddenly shifted, and the mood became heavy with hypnotic beats and desire as I looked from Edward to the sensually moving bodies only feet away from us. The mob of dancers moved in closer to the bar, barely leaving breathing room and the space between us filled further with sexual tension and it was impossible not to be taken over with the spellbinding lyrics.

As the singer words asked, "Where have you been all my life," I looked deep into Edward's eyes. I felt his hand grasp mine and without a word, he led me to the dance floor. As we made our way through the mass of people I held on tight to his hand, clinging to the connection that pulsed between us. Fully engulfed in the moving crowd, we slowly and nervously turned to face each other. As Edward placed his hands on my hips, he drew himself as close to me as possible, bridging the gap between our bodies. I draped my arms around his neck and allowed the music and heat to take over. Slowly, we began to move to the rhythm, giving in to our bodies and never breaking eye contact.

We stared into each other's eyes as though we were the only two people in the room, and the closeness of our bodies radiated tension and passion. I was overcome with emotions, cravings, and fantasies I'd never experienced before. As I looked at him and felt the sweat of our bodies mixing together, I realized how badly I wanted him. There was something about him that was magical. It wasn't the movie star status or the physical perfection of his body. It was almost an animalistic yearning, like I _needed_ him in a way I didn't even understand. I wanted nothing more than his touch, his lips, and his body on mine.

Edward lowered his head and nuzzled my neck, and I could feel his hot breath hit that special spot right behind my ear. He tenderly kissed the skin of my neck, sending chills to travel down every square inch of my flesh. I removed my right arm from around his neck and brought it to his chest, balling his t-shirt into a passionate fist and pulling him closer. We were lost in the song, lost in each other. I felt my skin become slick with sweat but I wasn't sure if it was from our erotic dance or the closeness of our bodies, either way I was surrendering my body to Edward.

As the song came to a close and the next song began to play, Edward and I stopped moving, frozen in wordless wanting. Edward moved his hand from my left hip and slowly ran it up my side until he reached the destination of my cheek. He tentatively caressed my lower lip with his thumb, causing me to stop breathing. In the middle of the crowded dance floor, for the entire world to see, he tenderly leaned down and once again pressed his lips against mine.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

I blinked and instantly pulled away, my perfect moment ruined as I turned to face the source of the very pissed off words. There stood Tanya Denali, looking flawless and beautiful, with both hands on her hips. Her normally pale blue eyes were dark and threatening and her flawless alabaster skin was glowing with anger, matching her skintight scarlet bandage dress.

"Tanya," Edward sighed and took a step back, removing any form of contact with my body. Hearing that name instantly sobered me up.

"Did you forget that I was going to be here tonight, Edward? Or that we are supposed to be seen together?" She spit at him and then turned to look at me, clearly disgusted. "And who the fuck is this?"

"Tanya, calm the fuck down," Edward began. "Yes, I got the memo on us being here. Clearly, I'm standing here, aren't I?" He was irritated, but I couldn't help but feel like my world was falling apart as I watched Hollywood's power couple fight right before my eyes.

"Do you know what this will do to my reputation, Edward? I don't give a flying fuck if we aren't a _real_ couple, but in public the deal is we _pretend_ to be." Without looking my way she grabbed the arm of a mystery man standing next to her. "James, take care of this!"

The man standing next to Tanya was an attractive blonde with a long ponytail and very expensive gray Armani suit. I assumed that he was Edward's manager, James Lincoln, since that is the name Tanya had used. I could tell by the squared jaw and flash of anger in his eyes, that he wasn't exactly happy to see me with Edward.

"Edward, do you have any idea how hard I've worked to get you two together? Don't fuck this up with some random, pathetic fan." James voiced the word _fan_ as if I was a diseased puppy who got too close.

"James, you're crossing a line with me right now, man." Edward's voice was shaking as he spit out the words. "You know my personal boundaries. My personal life is a line that _no one_ crosses. If I want to spend an evening with Bella, then that is my choice. I don't give a shit about helping Tanya's fucking social climbing career."

James took a step back and it was clear from his tensed body language that he knew not to push Edward any further. If I didn't know better, I would say he was scared of what Edward might do, however, he didn't let it go as he continued, "People are starting to stare, so say your goodbyes right now and let's go. We can still go downstairs and the two of you walk outside. Paparazzi are everywhere out there."

I stood in complete shock, willing myself to say something, anything, but Edward broke the silence. "Fine, just give me a second, ok?" He turned to face me and his face was instantly softer as he looked into my eyes, pleading for understanding. "I'm so sorry Bella, but I _have_ to go with them. I wish I could explain more, but I just can't. I should have known better."

I heard Tanya scuff behind him and didn't have to see the eye roll to know that's exactly what she did. I didn't care that Tanya was mad or that James considered me just a fan, what I cared about was Edward leaving me alone in the middle of the dance floor.

Not wanting to appear desperate, I forced a smile and watched as he turned and walked away from me without another word. "It's okay, Edward," I whispered to myself, as I stared as his disappearing form.

I couldn't help but laugh. _Did that really just happen?_

Over the beat of the music I could hear James yelling at him as they made their way to the stairs. "People can't see shit like that, Edward. I'm not going to tell you again!" And just like that, he was gone.

I stood alone in the middle of the dance floor. As the crowd continued their dancing, mostly oblivious to the scene that had just taken place. My heart felt empty. Claustrophobia started to set in and I was desperate to get out. Pushing my way through the horde of dancers, I ignored the dirty looks and comments thrown in my direction. I wanted nothing more than to escape the place that had haunted me for months, and I was certain those nightmares had now only just begun.

**A/N: So, even though the evening didn't end perfectly, I think Bella and Edward made some progress here…I know that a couple moments had me swooning in my mind as I wrote.**

**I would love to hear your thoughts on this first "date," although I don't really think we can officially call it that.**


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